


If He Delight In Him

by groolover



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: slythindor100, HP: EWE, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-02
Updated: 2012-12-26
Packaged: 2017-11-20 01:42:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 29,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/579918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/groolover/pseuds/groolover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco's been missing from the wizarding world for fourteen years when he encounters Harry, but it turns out they haven't forgotten each other.</p><p>Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge, which had daily photo prompts. It's set in 2012, which means that Harry and Draco are both 32 years old.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
>  **Author's Notes:** The title is from "He trusted in God", one of the choruses of Handel's _Messiah_. I had no intention of taking part in the Slythindor100 challenge before I performed _Messiah_ earlier this evening (1st December), but there were lots of bits where I wasn't singing, and a story idea struck me during one of them, and wouldn't go away. I doubt I'll keep it up for 25 consecutive days, but let's give it a go!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt for this chapter: [Snow](http://data.whicdn.com/images/19688774/tumblr_lvxmk6vz481r534t8o1_500_thumb.jpg)

**If He Delight In Him - part 1**

"Bloody countertenors," muttered Draco to himself as he tucked his scarf into his overcoat. "And bloody power-mad conductors." He found that he was becoming grumpier by the minute. He _had_ enjoyed the concert, mostly, but apparently nowhere near as much as most of the rest of the audience, judging by the rapturous conversations going on around him. The fact that they seemed to have _enjoyed_ the very aspects of the performance that Draco had hated made him even grumpier, and he felt suddenly very lonely: he had no problem attending concerts on his own, but he did not appreciate being reminded that he wasn't on the same wavelength as most people.

He weaved his way across the foyer through the gushing crowds emerging from the inner hall, and stepped outside. The instant temperature drop was more dramatic than he'd been expecting, despite having noticed from inside that it was snowing. Wishing he'd brought a hat, he rearranged his scarf so that it at least partly covered his ears, jammed his gloved hands in his coat pockets, and set off down Exhibition Road. Usually, when visiting the Royal Albert Hall, he liked to have a wander through Kensington Gardens afterwards, but it was much too cold for that, so he'd already decided to head straight for the Tube.

As he approached the Science Museum, he reconsidered his usual practice of not using the tube entrance there: he much preferred to walk along the street to the main entrance, rather than through a tunnel, but the tunnel might at least be a bit warmer. There seemed to be something going on, though: there was a small crowd of people at the top of the steps, and an ambulance was parked on the pavement, its flashing blue lights sending eerie shadows across the nearby buildings. 

Draco's curiosity got the better of him, and he edged closer, to see that there was a woman lying on the pavement, being tended to by paramedics. 

It was Hermione Granger.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Christmas pudding](http://www.rockymountainlodge.com/images/PlumPudding.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll meet Harry soon, don't worry – maybe tomorrow!

**If He Delight In Him - part 2**

Draco stared, glad of the fact that Granger was clearly in too much pain to pay attention to anything other than the paramedics. It had been more than ten years since he'd last seen her, of course, but he had no trouble recognising her, although her formerly bushy hair was now tamed in a French plait. She looked terrible, though. Her left wrist, currently being carefully bandaged by one of the paramedics, was the wrong shape – Draco was reminded of a dinner fork – and her right ankle, held by the other paramedic, was twisted and swollen. She was shivering violently, which seemed reasonable given that Draco was freezing despite having only been outdoors for a few minutes, while Granger was lying on an icy pavement. 

Within a few minutes, both wrist and ankle were bandaged and a painkilling injection had been administered, and the paramedics started to carefully manoeuvre Granger onto a stretcher. This seemed to rouse her slightly, and she began talking urgently to the paramedics, who looked at each other helplessly. 

"Have you ever heard of St Mungo's?" said one. "Is that what she's saying?"

"That's a new one on me, mate," said the other. "Maybe she's not from round here. But it might be just in her head. She's been going on about dropping her wand since we got here, hasn't she? Definitely concussion and shock, and probably hypothermia as well by now. No point expecting her to make any sense."

"Well, not much we can do about that now. We'd better get her to UCH and hope she recovers enough to tell us her name."

At this, Draco thought he'd better step forward. "Excuse me," he said. "I know this woman. Her name is Hermione Granger. Forgive me for not saying so earlier; I only arrived just now."

The lead paramedic looked at him, clearly relieved. "Friend of yours, is she? Will you come with her in the ambulance and give us some details?"

"Well... Of course," said Draco, realising that he could hardly refuse. He wasn't at all sure how Granger would react to his presence, but decided that she would probably prefer even someone she hated than no one at all; she had, after all, always seemed more sensible than most of her friends.

"Can you grab her stuff, then, please?" asked the paramedic. Draco looked round and saw several bags of shopping which had been dropped on the pavement near where Granger had been lying. Most of the contents were intact, but there were a few items strewn around nearby, including several Hamleys bags, a huge Christmas pudding and, amazingly, a wand. Draco was surprised at how relieved he was to spot this, and tucked it safely inside his coat.

He spent the short ambulance ride explaining that he couldn't really be described as more than an acquaintance of Hermione's (he started referring to her as Hermione when he realised that the paramedics were looking at him strangely every time he said 'Granger'), and that he had no idea where she lived these days, but should be able to contact her family. (And wouldn't _that_ be fun? He tried not to think about it for the moment. It was bad enough that he was going to have to _do_ it.) 

An hour later, he found himself sitting by Hermione's hospital bed, in conversation with a harassed-looking doctor who couldn't have been more than twelve years old, Draco thought. "She'll need to stay in overnight, at least," was the man's verdict. "She has a Colles fracture to her wrist – the surgeon will be coming to check it at some point, but I think he'll say that it won't need surgery – and her ankle is badly sprained but not broken. Even so, we'd send her home with temporary dressings and painkillers, but she banged her head when she fell, so we need to do neuro obs to rule out a brain bleed. In the morning, if the obs are all fine, we'll plaster her wrist and her ankle and she can go home. I understand you're not her partner – does she have someone at home that can help her? She won't be able to do much on her own for a while."

"To be honest, I have no idea," Draco admitted. "I'll make sure she's looked after, though, don't worry. We were never really friends, but I do owe her a lot. Long story," he added, when the doctor looked at him quizzically.

"Well, I'm sure she'll be grateful when she comes round," said the doctor. "I'll be back to see her later, and the nurses will check on her every fifteen minutes, so don't feel that you need to stay all night. It'd help her if someone was with her as much as possible, though."

Draco thanked the man (well, if you could call him that; possibly he was slightly older than twelve, but surely no more than fourteen) and settled back into his chair, lost in thought. He was quite startled when he finally returned his gaze to Hermione and found her looking directly at him, with a sort of puzzled awareness.

"Malfoy?" she said. "Am I imagining things? I know I hit my head, but you seem a strange thing for me to invent."

"Yes, it's me," said Draco. "Sorry. I'm sure I'm the last person you would want to see at this point."

"Well, not the _last_ ," said Hermione. "The doctor was right, though: I'm very grateful you're here. I don't know how I'd get in touch with anyone if you weren't. I think I dropped my wand when I fell."

Draco grinned and reached inside his coat for it. Hermione's jaw dropped open as she took it. "Malfoy, I take back anything I've ever said about you," she said, smiling. "Thank you so much. Does that mean my other stuff is here too?" Her eyes widened as Draco nodded towards the pile of bags under the chair. 

"I take it you heard everything the doctor said, then?" he asked. "And, sorry for not asking immediately, but how are you feeling? I must say you seem quite a bit better than when we arrived."

"I feel much better – I think all the painkillers must have kicked in," she said. "I really thought I was dying while I was on the pavement, though. It was worse than Crucio. I feel a bit pathetic to find there's nothing life-threatening and I'm just a wuss."

"Well, we both know _that's_ not true," said Draco. "Now, who do you want me to fetch for you? Are you still with Weasley?"

"Yes, we've been married since more or less the last time I saw you," said Hermione. "We live in Ottery St. Catchpole, near his family. Do you know it?"

"I've never been there, but I know where it is," said Draco. "I'm going to have to go there, aren't I? I was thinking you could send a Patronus once you had your wand, but people would see."

"Can't _you_ send a Patronus?" asked Hermione. "It'd be easier. You could just pop outside for a bit – there's bound to be somewhere hidden that you could do it."

"Except that I've never actually been able to do the Patronus Charm," admitted Draco, embarrassed. "And, believe me, I've tried. Sorry. But don't worry – I can Apparate to Devon."

Hermione smiled at him. "Well, if you're sure you don't mind," she said. "I think Ron will actually be at his mum's house, so you'd better head for The Burrow. If he's not there, our house is called Pixie View. Don't ask," she added, at Draco's raised eyebrow.

Draco bade her farewell, promising to be back as quickly as possible. He spent a few minutes wandering round the hospital in search of a suitable Apparition location. The fire escape behind the canteen suited his needs, and seconds later he was approaching the door of The Burrow. He hesitated before knocking, but the door opened while he was still summoning his courage. 

Ron Weasley stared at him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Red and green Christmas decorations](http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/badboo/badboo1008/badboo100800003/7586639-green-and-red-christmas-ornaments-on-white-background.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped I'd get Harry in today, and I almost did, but not quite. He'll be at the start of tomorrow's chapter, though, I promise. And then things might actually start to _happen_ – sorry it's moving so slowly!

**If He Delight In Him - part 3**

"Malfoy?" said Weasley, with a puzzled look on his face. His voice was deeper than Draco remembered; then again, most of their previous interactions had involved shouting. "What are you doing here?"

Draco let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. He hadn't been punched in the face or hexed yet, so things were already going better than he'd expected. "It's Granger," he said. "She's had an accident – slipped and fell on the ice – and she's in a Muggle hospital. She asked me to come and get you."

Weasley stared for another few seconds, and then burst out laughing. "Yeah, right," he said. "Nice try. You didn't really think I'd believe _that_ , did you? I don't know what you're playing at, but I'm not going anywhere with _you_."

"But... She has no other way of contacting you, you idiot," Draco protested. "Do you really want me to go back to her and tell her that her husband refused to come and help her?"

Weasley's grin faltered for a moment, but then he shook his head. "If you really have seen Hermione, which I doubt, you can tell her that she wasn't thinking very clearly if she thought _you_ were a good person to send. I'd never believe _you_ in a million years. Where have you been for the last ten years, anyway?"

"I've been living in Muggle London, working in a train station ticket office."

This caused Weasley to laugh so much that he actually had tears rolling down his cheeks. "I'll say this much for you, Malfoy: you're definitely more entertaining than you used to be. Fine, if you don't want to tell me, I don't really care. I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you've turned up after all this time, making up stories about Hermione?"

"Because I was the only one who happened to be there, you moron," snapped Draco. "Look. She _wasn't_ thinking clearly, but that's because she had _concussion_ and _shock_ and _hypothermia_. And obviously _I_ wasn't thinking clearly, because I should have realised you wouldn't believe me. So, fine. I'll go back and tell her that her husband won't help her, so she'll have to turn to someone else. Just remember, when you _do_ finally see her, that I did try to tell you all this, will you?"

Weasley looked at him for a moment, his face inscrutable. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this," he said eventually. "It just seems too unlikely that _you_ happened to be there if she really had an accident. Sorry. I'd send her a Patronus to prove you're lying, but I know she _was_ shopping in Muggle London, so I'd better not."

Draco shook his head, defeated. "Fine," he said. "I suppose it _does_ seem unlikely. It happens to be true, though. Can I at least write down the details for you, in case you change your mind later when she doesn't come home? It _is_ almost midnight."

Weasley was looking at him uncertainly; when Draco reached into his pocket and produced a biro and a piece of paper, however, he looked astonished, and watched as Draco wrote down the name of the hospital and the ward. 

"You're using a Muggle pen. _You_ are using a Muggle pen. What the bloody hell is going on?"

Draco sighed. "Is it so impossible to believe that people change? And that everything I've told you is the truth? Obviously it is. Thank you for at least not attacking me, Weasley – I have no doubt I'll see you again soon." With that, he Apparated back to the hospital canteen.

When he got back to Hermione's bed, there was a nurse shining a light into her eyes. Draco was momentarily fascinated by the effect of the torch reflecting off the red and green baubles on the nearby Christmas tree; he disapproved of Christmas decorations being put up so early – it was only the first of December, for goodness' sake! – but whoever had decorated the ward _had_ done a good job. 

"Pupils reacting normally," said the nurse, making a note on her clipboard. "I think you're going to be fine, but I'll be back in fifteen minutes anyway. How's the pain? I can't give you any more morphine just yet, but you can have some tramadol if you need it."

"I think I'm alright for the moment, thank you," said Hermione. "The pain's definitely there, but I don't really want to take too much medication if I can manage without it."

"I can never understand people who say that," admitted the nurse. "I'd have as much as they'd give me, if it was me. But it's your decision. Just press the call button if you change your mind, OK?" She put the clipboard back at the end of the bed and bustled away.

"Hi," said Draco. Hermione jumped. 

"Didn't see you there – you startled me," she said. "Have you been waiting long? Wait... where's Ron?"

"I've only just got here," said Draco. "And your husband is still at The Burrow. He laughed quite a lot at the idea that you might have sent _me_ to fetch him. I should've known he wouldn't believe me."

Hermione sighed. "Oh dear," she said. "I'm sorry. I never thought of that. I suppose it does seem a bit strange, doesn't it? ... He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, he was surprisingly civil, actually – well, if you don't count the laughing at me and the refusing to believe a word I said, that is," said Draco. "I did write down the hospital details for him, so I'm sure he'll do something about it eventually, although it'll be a lot more complicated than if he'd just come with me. In the meantime, though, what do you want me to do? Is there anyone else who we could try? Someone who might actually believe me?"

Hermione fixed him with an unwavering gaze. "What?" he said. "Why are you.... Oh, no. You can't be serious. You're thinking of Potter, aren't you?"

The corners of her mouth twitched. Draco stared at her, dismayed, and then sagged. "You really think he'll listen?"

"I really think he'll listen," said Hermione. "I can't promise he won't give you a hard time, but I think he'll give you the benefit of the doubt. And I do think he'll come with you, and then you'll be able to get back to your life. I do appreciate you doing all this for me, you know. And I do want to find out what you've been doing since the war, but please will you go and see Harry first? The nurse told me that I'll be in plaster for six weeks at least, so I'm a bit keen to get some magical healing." 

"Fine," said Draco, resigned. "What's his bloody address?"

"Number twelve, Grimmauld Place," said Hermione. "You probably know it – I think some of your family used to live there."

"They did," admitted Draco. "I haven't been there since I was little, though. Potter lives _there_? It's a horrible house."

"It's not quite as bad as it was," said Hermione. "And he seems happy enough there. These days, anyway."

Draco decided that this was not the time to demand more details, fascinating though that statement was. "Well, I'll try," he said reluctantly. "But if I don't come back, you can assumed he's killed me."

Hermione laughed. "Drama queen," she said. "Thank you again for all this. See you soon – with Harry."

Draco rolled his eyes, nodded and Apparated.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Christmas tree by the fireplace](http://sassy-cissa.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/676/282938)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, when I started this I thought "pfft, a hundred words a day – how hard can it be?!?" I should've known the word count would get out of hand! Anyway, here's Harry. And a bit of angst, at the end. Don't worry, though – there'll be a fluffy happy ending. They're the only sort I like.

**If He Delight In Him - part 4**

It looked as if most of the inhabitants of Grimmauld Place had gone to bed by the time Draco arrived, as only a few of the houses were showing any lights. Number Twelve wasn't one of them, and Draco's heart sank: reluctant as he was to speak to Potter, it would make his life a lot easier if the man was actually at home and awake.

Deciding that there was nothing to be gained by putting it off, he crossed the square, climbed the few steps to the door of Number Twelve, and then grabbed the railing in a panic as he lost his footing on the icy top step. He managed to steady himself just in time, and smiled ruefully at the thought of replicating Hermione's accident. 

There was neither bell nor door knocker, so Draco rapped sharply on the glass. He waited for a couple of minutes before doing so again. This time, a light came on inside, and someone could be heard to be coming down the stairs; then the door opened, and Harry Potter was there.

Draco stared for several seconds before he realised his mouth was hanging open, and closed it. Potter was barefoot; in fact, he was bare-just-about-everything. He was dressed only in a pair of grey pyjama bottoms, and his naked chest was _very_ impressive: many, many chiselled muscles; a flat abdomen; and cold-hardened nipples that Draco found himself thinking about sucking. He shook himself and forced his gaze back to Potter's face.

"Bloody hell," Potter was saying. "Draco Malfoy. This _is_ a surprise. Haven't seen you in... what, ten years? Twelve years? To what do I owe this honour?"

"It's Granger," said Draco. "Hermione. She's had an accident and she needs your help."

Potter's face hardened instantly. "Hermione? Is she OK? And why are _you_ telling me this?"

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. "She's not OK, but she _will_ be," he said. "Why me? Because, by pure coincidence, I was nearby when it happened. And, before you ask, the reason I'm asking _you_ rather than Weasley is that he didn't believe me when I went to him. So I'm very relieved to find that _you_ apparently do. Thank you for that."

Potter laughed. "Well, whatever I've thought of you in the past, you're not _stupid_. And if you _were_ making up a story to get me to come with you, I suspect you'd come up with a more likely-sounding one than this. So let's assume you _are_ telling the truth, in which case we should probably hurry. Give me a minute to get dressed, and you can tell me the details on the way. You'd better come inside, it's freezing."

He led Draco into the front room and muttered a spell to light the fire. A second utterance lit up the fairy lights on a Christmas tree that had previously been lurking in the darkness. Draco smiled at the sight, and moved closer to the fire to warm himself. 

"Won't be a minute," said Potter, before jogging up the stairs and out of sight.

Draco suddenly wondered whether or not Potter lived here alone. It certainly looked that way, but it did seem unlikely. What had happened to the Weasley girl? Draco had assumed that there would be mini-Potters by now. Mini-Weasleys too, in fact; it occurred to him that he had no idea whether or not Weasley and Granger had any children. Surely Granger would have said so, if there were any?

His thoughts were interrupted by the return of Potter, who was now bundled up in jeans and a black fleece, with a green scarf wrapped round his neck.

"Right, I'm ready," he said. "So, where are we going? Do I need to bring anything?"

"Not that I can think of," said Draco. "She's in a Muggle hospital – University College Hospital, it's called. They've treated her, and she'll be fine, but some magical healing would probably help. She fell on the ice, and she's definitely broken her wrist and sprained her ankle. They're monitoring her to check for serious brain injuries, because she banged her head, but it looks as if she's been fairly lucky. I think she's going to have to stay where she is till morning, but she'll feel better if you're there in the meantime, I'm sure. Well, and Weasley, of course, but maybe he might come if _you_ ask him."

"It sounds as if she's very lucky you were there," said Potter, who had been looking increasingly worried during Draco's explanation. "Thank you for helping her. And Ron will thank you too, I'm sure, after Hermione's finished telling him off." He grinned suddenly at the thought of that. "Anyway, lead the way."

Minutes later, they were behind the hospital canteen. Draco started to head across the hospital, but then he stopped suddenly. 

"What's wrong?" asked Potter. 

"I've just realised that I may have caused a problem earlier," Draco admitted. "When I Apparated to fetch Weasley, I came out here so no one would see me, but when I came to _your_ house I Apparated directly from Granger's bedside. I don't _think_ anyone was around to see me, but it was probably a bad idea nonetheless."

"I bet you were just flustered at the thought of me," said Potter, grinning. And was that a _wink?_

Draco hadn't _realised_ he was flustered, but the suddenly obvious truth of the statement meant that he was even more flustered now. He decided that his safest course of action was not to respond at all. "Come on," was all he said.

Granger seemed to be asleep when they reached her bed, and Draco stood back slightly as Potter stared at her, aghast. "She looks so _broken_ ," he said quietly. "You're sure they said there's nothing to worry about?"

"I think they were waiting for a surgeon to look at her to double-check, but yes, they definitely seemed to think everything would heal," said Draco. It was true, though: she _did_ look broken. Her right ankle was resting on a pillow which raised it several inches above the left one; it was swathed in bandages, but bruising was still visible at the edges. Her left wrist, also bandaged and bruised, rested on another pillow, and the deformation of the broken bones was obvious. Both of her legs were severely grazed, and her forehead was sporting a prominent lump.

Potter gently lifted her uninjured right hand. "I'm here, Hermione," he whispered. "We'll get you sorted out, don't worry."

She stirred, and then opened her eyes. "Harry?" she said, sleepily. "So you _didn't_ kill Malfoy on sight, then. That's a relief. He was sure you would."

"Well, there's still time," said Potter, and grinned at Draco. "But he hasn't done anything to upset me yet, so I've had no excuse."

"I _did_ get you out of bed," Draco found himself pointing out. 

Potter laughed. "True," he said. "You were on dangerous ground there for a moment. But I decided you had good reason. Now, can I beg one more favour? Please will you stay with Hermione just a little bit longer, while I go and make Ron feel like an idiot?"

Draco nobly refrained from making the obvious rejoinder. "Of course," he said, settling into the chair. "If nothing else, I'm _very_ keen to witness Granger murder him."

Granger smiled. "I _do_ have some things to say to him," she said. "But, Malfoy, would you please call me Hermione? I know you can do it – I already heard you saying it to the ambulance men. Apart from anything else, Granger isn't actually my name any more."

Draco rolled his eyes. "It was just easier," he said. "I told them your full name, and they called you Hermione after that, and they looked at me a bit strangely when I called you Granger. But, yes, of course I will call you Hermione if you prefer. Only if you call me Draco, though."

"It's a deal," said Hermione. "And the same goes for Harry and Ron, of course. Isn't that right, Harry?"

Harry shook her hand, which he was still holding. "That's right, Hermione," he said, grinning. "Draco, please call me Harry. And Ron will say the same – after I've had a word with him, at least."

"I'm not calling you _both_ Harry. That would be very confusing," said Draco, with a perfectly straight face. 

Harry looked confused for a moment, before his face cleared and he laughed. "I'll be back soon," he said, and headed for the ward exit.

Draco watched him until he was out of sight, and then turned to find Hermione looking at him with a knowing look on her face. 

"I told you he'd listen to you," she said. "The two of you do seem to be getting on better than I thought you would, though."

"I'm just as surprised as you, believe me," said Draco. "Don't feel you have to talk to me, though. I'm sure you want to get back to sleep. I promise I'll stay till they get here."

"I wasn't really asleep, actually," said Hermione. "I was just resting my eyes. Every time I feel like I'm about to drop off, they come and check on me and wake me up. Anyway, I want to hear about you. Where have you been all these years?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you," said Draco. "It might exacerbate your injuries. Your husband almost died laughing when I told him."

Hermione looked at him quizzically. "Well, now you _have_ to tell me," she said. "I'm intrigued."

"OK, but don't say I didn't warn you," said Draco. "I've been living in Muggle London, and I have a job in the ticket office at my local train station."

Hermione stared at him for a minute before saying, "Well, I don't know what I was expecting, but that wasn't it. I'm going to want a _lot_ more details, just so you know. But let's start with: are you on your own? Is there a partner? Kids?"

"No, just me," said Draco. "What about you? I know you said you're married to Weasley... Ron... but you didn't mention any children."

Hermione's face didn't change very much at this, but it was enough for Draco to panic, wondering what had upset her. The answer, however, was provided by Ron Weasley, who'd walked into the ward while Draco was speaking.

"Hermione can't have children," said Ron, flatly. "And it's your fault."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [American chocolates](http://www.oldtimecandy.com/assets/images/christmas/hershey-christmas-kisses-bulk.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short one today (and no cliffhanger), due to RL getting in the way. Tomorrow should be better. 
> 
> (As for the chocolates, I'd never seen Hershey's Kisses before, because I live in the UK, and I honestly thought they were Christmas decorations when I saw the photos. It was only the file name, and a bit of googling, that alerted me that they weren't! Hence Ron's reaction. And thanks to nursedarry for telling me what they taste like!)

**If He Delight In Him - part 5**

"Oh, come on, Ron, don't start all that again," said Harry, joining them. "You can't blame Draco. It was all Bellatrix Lestrange, and you know it."

Draco looked at Hermione in horror. She gave him a watery smile.

"It happened in his house. He was there. He didn't do anything to stop it," argued Ron. 

Harry rolled his eyes. "What, exactly, do you think he could have _done_?" he demanded. "He'd already done more than we expected when he didn't identify us."

"Ron, please drop it," said Hermione. "I didn't realise you were _still_ blaming Draco after all this time. I told you fourteen years ago that _I_ didn't blame him. It happened, and it can't be fixed, and I hate it, but it's in the past. Draco, please stop looking so horrified. _I_ don't blame you."

"You probably should, though," said Draco. "I am so sorry. It never even occurred to me that her torture of you would have lasting damage. I wish I _had_ done more."

"Harry's right, though. There wasn't really anything you _could_ have done," said Hermione. "I promise you I don't blame you, and I never have. Ron, that's _two_ apologies you owe Draco."

Ron took her hand. "Sorry, Malfoy," he muttered, without meeting Draco's eyes. "And yes, I _have_ been told to call you Draco. I can't promise I'll manage it, but I'll try."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Moving on," he said loudly, eliciting a giggle from Hermione. "We still want to know exactly what happened tonight. Draco said you fell on the ice?"

"I didn't actually see it happen – I arrived while the paramedics were treating her," Draco explained. "But that's what they were saying."

"The pavement wasn't even that icy, actually," said Hermione. "But yes, I did slip, and twisted my ankle. And I put my hand out to break my fall, and that's how I snapped my wrist. And I think I banged my head on the railing at the entrance to the tube station. I'm not sure, though. It felt like everything went into slow motion for a minute, and I was split between trying not to fall and trying not to drop my bags, and the indecision meant I did both."

"You did have a _lot_ of bags," Draco remembered. "Christmas shopping?"

"Most of it was, yes," said Hermione. "And some of it is a surprise, so don't go rooting through them, Ron." He grinned at her, finally seeming calmer. "Ooh, I did get one thing I can show you now, though. Pass me that big Hamleys bag?"

Harry did so, and she peered inside for a moment before removing a package and opening it.

"Christmas decorations?" guessed Ron. "Erm, they're not _that_ impressive."

"They're not Christmas decorations, they're chocolates," said Hermione. "Hershey's Christmas Kisses, they're called. They're American – I've heard of them, but never seen them in England before. But Hamleys had a special display of American chocolate, so I thought I'd get some for you to try."

She passed round the bag of red, green and silver-wrapped sweets, and they all took one.

"It tastes like sick," was Ron's verdict a moment later. He reached for another one.

Harry and Draco both laughed. "It doesn't, but I can see what you mean," said Harry. "This is American chocolate? Ours is much better."

"Agreed," said Draco. "It's interesting, though. I've heard of these, too, but I assumed they'd be nicer than they are."

"Oh well," said Hermione. "Don't feel you have to eat them. It's true: they're not that nice. What a disappointment!"

They finished the whole bag between them, anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge, which has daily photo prompts. Prompt for this chapter: [Hot chocolate](http://triadmomsonmain.com/images/blog/cocoa.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No cliffhanger again, which will please some of you and disappoint others! This is a learning experience for me – I hadn't realised how difficult it is to end on a cliffhanger every time!

**If He Delight In Him - part 6**

"Time for your obs, Hermione," said the nurse, bustling over. "Ah, Draco, I see you managed to contact her family. Thank you for that. You _are_ family, I presume?" She peered at Harry and Ron.

"I'm Ron – Hermione's husband. This is Harry – he's our friend." Ron reached out to shake hands with the nurse; Harry, looking amused, followed suit.

"Well, Ron, I'm very pleased you're here – both of you. The surgeon will be coming shortly to have a look at your wife's wrist, and he much prefers it if family are here, so he doesn't have to explain everything twice. I'm expecting him to say you won't need surgery, though, Hermione. I don't know if you're hungry – it _is_ one o'clock in the morning, so maybe you're not – but, if you are, we'll be able to give you some food after the surgeon's cleared you, if you like. We have to starve you if surgery's still an option, you see, because food in your stomach would delay it."

Hermione looked slightly guilty, and Ron sat on the bed and surreptitiously put the chocolate wrappers in his pocket. She grinned at him.

"And will I be able to go home after I've seen the surgeon?" she asked the nurse. "I feel much better now. I'm sure I'll be fine with a bit of a rest."

"I think you can expect to be here until the morning – maybe ten o'clock, but not much later," said the nurse. "We need to keep up the intermittent obs until breakfast, but there hasn't been anything to worry about with the ones I've taken so far. If that remains the case, we'll just send you to the plaster room to get your wrist and ankle plastered – they only work daytimes, so you can't go till then anyway – and then we'll discharge you with a week's worth of painkillers and an appointment for the fracture clinic. You'll need a lot of help at home for a while, though – will that be a problem?" She looked at Ron expectantly.

"Not at all," said Ron. "I can take time off work, and Harry will help too, won't you, Harry?"

"Of course," said Harry. "And so will Draco, I'm sure." He raised his eyebrows at Draco, who found himself nodding through his surprise.

"Excellent," said the nurse. "Now, if all three of you are going to stay, I'm going to have to ask you to be very quiet, please. I don't want the other patients being woken up."

"No, we'll leave Ron to do the night shift," said Harry. "I'm sure he'd prefer that. Draco and I will come back in the morning to help take Hermione home. Is that OK, you two?"

Hermione and Ron both nodded, and Draco stood up, wondering when he'd become part of 'Draco and I' but deciding he rather liked it. Harry leaned over to kiss Hermione on the cheek, and whispered something in her ear that made her beam at him.

"Thank you again for all your help, Draco," she said, looking up at him. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there."

"Yeah, thanks... Draco," said Ron. Draco nodded at him, resisting the urge to giggle, and then followed Harry out of the ward.

They reached the canteen before either of them spoke. "Why is this canteen shut?" demanded Harry suddenly. "It's ridiculous! Surely a hospital canteen should be open twenty-four hours a day?"

"NHS cutbacks, no doubt," said Draco. "Why, are you hungry?"

Harry stared at him. "Not really, but I'd love a hot drink," he said eventually. "You know, it's unbelievably weird to hear you say such a Muggle thing. Is it really true? You've been living in Muggle London all this time?"

"I have," said Draco. "Since a few months after the war. I think, at first, I was actually trying to punish myself – I thought I didn't deserve to be with wizards. But it wasn't as bad as I'd expected it to be, once I'd got used to it."

"Hot chocolate," said Harry suddenly. "That's what I want. Are you really tired? There must be somewhere that's still open that has hot chocolate. D'you fancy sitting down for a bit and chatting? It's fine if you need to sleep, though. We can always do it another time."

Draco mentally castigated his unhelpful brain for the jolt it produced at 'do it', and considered. He _was_ struggling to stay awake, which was unusual for him – he was a bit of a night owl usually, but it _had_ been an emotionally draining few hours – but he was keen not to spoil this surprising new whatever-it-was with Harry. "OK, you're on," he said; he was pleased to note that Harry appeared delighted at this response. "But only if you promise to tell me about you as well. I assume you're Head Auror by now, are you?"

The light was poor – another NHS cutback, probably – but it did look rather as if Harry blushed. "Erm, yes, I am, actually," he admitted. "There's nothing very exciting to tell you about that, though. But by all means ask me. Now, where's our best bet for 24-hour hot chocolate?"

Draco thought for a moment. "Well, I agree with you that the answer _should_ be 'hospital canteens', but apparently it isn't," he said. "Failing that, I suppose airports and stations are the next best options. Shall we wander over to Euston and see what we can find? St Pancras is probably more likely to have stuff open, but Euston's nearer. If there's nothing at either, though, I'm going home, sorry. I'm not sure I can stay awake long enough to go out to Heathrow."

Harry was gazing at him, his mouth slightly open. "Euston it is," he said. "I'm sure that soon the novelty of _you_ knowing about Muggle things will wear off, but it'll take a while."

"It's probably best I don't show you the contents of my pockets, then, or you might die of shock," said Draco.

"Mobile phone?" Harry guessed.

" _And_ an Oyster card," Draco said, grinning. "And a debit card. No credit cards, though – they seemed like a bad idea."

"They are," said Harry. "This is all very impressive, I must say. I never thought you had it in you. Now, come on. I want my hot chocolate. And I want to quiz you about your personal life."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Christmas cracker](http://yourenglishlessons.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/90_04_35-christmas-cracker_web.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short one tonight, because I've only had a total of about 8 hours' sleep out of the past 72. *zzzzzzzzzzz* But tomorrow I am totally free and planning to write THOUSANDS OF WORDS \o/

**If He Delight In Him - part 7**

"That'll be a very short quiz," said Draco, as they set off along the Euston Road. "I don't really _have_ a personal life. Anyway, why the sudden interest? You never _used_ to care about anything I did."

Harry laughed. "Is that really what you think?" he asked. "Let me put it this way: if you'd said that in front of Ron or Hermione, they would have laughed even louder than I just did. They spent most of sixth year trying to _stop_ me paying attention to you."

Draco flushed uncomfortably. "Well, you had a good reason then," he pointed out.

"I did," said Harry. "But I'd be lying if I said that was the _only_ reason, although I didn't admit to myself till a long time afterwards that there was more to it. I think I've always been ever so slightly fascinated by you."

Draco looked at him, surprised, but Harry was striding along the pavement with his hands in his pockets, very carefully not looking in Draco's direction. Draco, at a loss for words, opted for matching Harry's pace and striding along beside him in silence. After a minute, though, he started to hum cheerfully.

"I don't recognise that one. What is it?" asked Harry.

" _I'm A Little Christmas Cracker_ ," said Draco. 

"You're kidding."

"No, I'm not."

"There's no such song. You're having me on."

"Not at all. I heard it earlier this evening, in fact, at the Royal Albert Hall. I went to see _Messiah_ , but there was a children's choir singing in the foyer before the proper concert started, and this was their finale."

Harry looked at him searchingly. "Right. So, if it _is_ a real song, no doubt you'll be able to sing me the words?"

Draco grinned. "Fine, but don't blame me if it's stuck in your head all night.

_"I'm a little Christmas cracker, hangin' on a Christmas tree. Just a little Christmas cracker. A-bang-a-bang-a-bang-a – that's me! A-bang-a-bang-a-bang-a – that's me!_

_"If you pull me right in half, I give you things to make you laugh. Paper hats and good advice; pretty little toys and everything that's nice."_

As he finished, he found Harry gazing at him. Draco gazed back, feeling his face redden, but then Harry collapsed in giggles. "This is now the official most unlikely moment of my life," he managed to get out. "If you'd told me, when we were at school, that one day I'd be walking through London in the middle of the night with Draco Malfoy singing me a song about Christmas crackers, I'd have thought you'd gone mad."

"Are you saying you'd have preferred _All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth_?" asked Draco seriously, before joining Harry in his giggling fit. 

_Note:[The song IS real!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VEEr42D1aI)_


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Posh Christmas table setting](http://fseus.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/christmas-day.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not quite as many thousands of words as intended, because I got distracted and didn't start till hours after I meant to! But tomorrow is another relatively free day.

**If He Delight In Him - part 8**

Euston station, it transpired, was more or less closed for the night. The concourse was still open and there were a few staff around, but there were no trains on the departure board, and all the shops were shut. However, a cleaner told them that there was a 24-hour Starbucks at St Pancras, so they wandered along there. 

Harry insisted on paying for both drinks, so Draco made the most of his treat by having whipped cream on his hot chocolate, which seemed to amuse Harry.

"Shut up, you," said Draco, dipping his finger into the cream and licking it. "The cream makes it like a meal and a drink rolled into one. You'll think of this later, when your stomach's rumbling but you can't be bothered to get up for food."

"You know, they put marshmallows in their hot chocolate in America," said Harry, sipping his own hot chocolate. "Have you ever tried that?"

"No, I always thought it sounded a bit yukky," said Draco. "I did try a marshmallow once, but I didn't really like it. I like sweet things, but that was too sweet. If I wanted my hot chocolate sweet, I'd put sugar in it."

"There must be _something_ good about it, though, or it wouldn't be so popular. I wonder if they've got any here?" mused Harry. He leapt from his seat and went over to the counter, where the bored-looking barista was wiping the surfaces. 

"Well?" asked Draco, when Harry returned. 

"Nope," said Harry. "He said they've asked the management whether they can get some, because American tourists are always asking for them, but there are no plans to stock them. Oh well. I'll have to buy some and experiment."

Draco responded by scooping up the last of his whipped cream and tipping his head back to drop it in his mouth. As he licked his finger clean, he was interested to note that Harry seemed to be following his every movement with his eyes. 

"So, Head Auror, eh?" said Draco. "Must keep you busy."

Harry shrugged. "It's not too bad," he said. "I'm actually less busy than I was before I got promoted. It's busy when I'm actually at work, but I have a good team, so I don't often get called in when I'm supposed to be off duty. And it helps that Ron's my deputy. We know each other so well that we don't have to explain things to each other. Saves a lot of time."

Draco nodded. "I notice you've not mentioned his sister, though," he said, carefully. "I'm curious – are you still with her? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"I don't mind," said Harry, draining the last of his hot chocolate. "No, I'm not still with her. We did try to get back together after the war, but we soon realised we weren't the same people who'd fallen in love. She's still a good friend, though. She married someone you won't know."

"And what about you? Did you find a new love of your life?"

"Not yet," said Harry. "I've not been with anyone serious since then. Just a few flings here and there, but none of them were really what I was looking for." He paused. "I _did_ discover something surprising about myself, though."

"Which is?"

"Turns out I'm... well, not entirely straight," said Harry, meeting Draco's eyes.

Draco raised his eyebrows. "You're gay? Huh. And how do you feel about that? I presume you're comfortable with it, or you wouldn't have told me."

"Strictly I'd say I'm bi rather than gay, but I _have_ been with more men than woman," said Harry. "And I'm fine with it. I wasn't at first, until I realised that it wasn't actually as big a deal as I thought it was."

Draco smiled at him. "Well, in the spirit of full disclosure, I suppose I should state that I'm _totally_ gay," he said. "But – and it's entirely possible that I'm about to make a huge idiot of myself if I've got this wrong – judging by the way you were looking at me a minute ago, I suspect you won't be too upset about that."

Harry beamed, although this was combined with a blush. "You haven't got it wrong," he confessed. "You know, this is one thing I like about being older. It feels much easier to just say things, doesn't it? Can you imagine how long it would have taken us to get to this stage when we were teenagers?"

"Indeed," said Draco. "Even setting aside the special circumstances of _our_ teenage years, I can't imagine the seventeen-year-old me could have said that out loud. And, while I'm feeling brave, I should probably reassure you that if _you'd_ been licking _your_ finger, I would have gazed at you in a very similar manner."

"Well, I'm glad the thirty-two-year old you did," said Harry, grinning. "Now we both know where we stand. The only trouble is, the thirty-two-year-old _me_ needs a bit more sleep than the seventeen-year-old me, and I'm shattered. How about you? Are you tired?"

"Exhausted," admitted Draco. "But I'm glad we did this. Oh, and I meant to ask you: do you really want me to go back to the hospital with you in the morning? I'm happy to, of course, but I wondered whether you were just being polite."

"Of course I want you to," said Harry. "And not just for reasons recently mentioned; I know Hermione will want to see you again. Ron maybe not so much, but he'll come round."

"Well, in that case we'd better get some sleep pretty soon, if we've got to be back there for... when d'you think? Nine o'clock?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "They did say she wouldn't be ready by ten at the earliest, but we should get there in plenty of time before then, so they won't worry."

"How will we get her home?" wondered Draco. "Do you or Weasley... Ron have a car?"

"No, I don't really need one," said Harry. "Ron's got one – he doesn't really need it either, but he likes it – but it's in Devon. It's fine, though, we'll just get a cab. Once she's at Grimmauld Place, we can get someone from St Mungo's to come and see her. I'm not sure whether or not it'd be safe to Apparate her while she's got broken bones."

"Hmm. That's a good point," said Draco. "In the meantime, though, we should sleep. Let's see if there's anywhere around here we can Apparate from."

"There was an alleyway near the British Library that might do the trick," Harry remembered. "But, listen – why don't you come back to mine? To sleep, just to be clear. Seems like it'd be easier."

"Please don't be upset, but I think I'd better go home," said Draco. "I always find it difficult to sleep anywhere but my own bed, and I _really_ need to sleep. Also, I don't like leaving my cat alone overnight. But I promise I'll be at the hospital for nine o'clock. And we can continue our conversation after that."

"You have a _cat?"_ said Harry. "Somehow I can't picture that at all. But I love the idea of it. What sort of a cat is it?"

"Tabby," said Draco, smiling fondly. "Her name is Kilgharrah and she's _beautiful_."

"Kilgharrah? That's a very unusual name. Where did that come from?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you... but I _will_ tell you. Just not right now, because it's a slightly longer story than we have time for at the moment."

Harry smiled. "Fair enough, but I _will_ ask you again tomorrow," he said. "Don't worry, I totally understand about wanting to sleep in your own bed. Where do you live, anyway?"

"Wallington," said Draco. At Harry's puzzled look, he explained: "It's out on the south side of London. Maybe fifteen miles from here. Near Croydon."

"How on earth did you end up there?" wondered Harry. Then he shook his head. "Don't answer that. I'll add it to the list of things I need to get you to explain tomorrow."

"It's a deal," said Draco. "In fact, here's an even better deal. Tomorrow night, after we've sorted Hermione out, why don't you come and see where I live? I've been to _your_ house, so it's only fair. In fact, I'll even cook for you. We can have a proper dinner date, with formal place settings and everything. And we can talk for as long as we like."

"That sounds perfect," said Harry, smiling. "Thank you. I'd love to. Of course, you do realise that the first thing I'm going to be asking is how and when you learned to cook, right? Unless you've actually got house-elves in your flat?"

"I haven't, although they _have_ been there a few times in the past," said Draco. "Again, part of the story I'll tell you tomorrow. But I promise you that when I said 'I'll cook for you' I meant I'd be cooking everything _myself_."

"Well, I can't wait," said Harry. "And, before you ask, I'll eat _anything_ , so whatever you have in mind will be fine."

"I'll try to surprise you," said Draco. 

"I don't think it's actually possible for you to surprise me more than you already have tonight, but you're welcome to try," said Harry. "But we'd better get going, before I fall asleep on my feet. Have you finished your drink?"

Draco ran his finger round the inside of his mug and then sucked on it, giving Harry a wink.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Mistletoe](http://www.columbusvetcare.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/mistletoe.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ran out of time! Eek! Didn't get as far as I wanted today.

**If He Delight In Him - part 9**

At five to nine the next morning (well, the _same_ morning, really, but he _had_ been to sleep) Draco was running up the steps from Warren Street tube station. It was quite a bit warmer than the day before, but there was still quite a bit of ice and frost around, so he was careful to keep hold of the handrail. When he reached the top, he was startled to find Harry waiting there.

"How did you..." he began, but Harry just grinned at him.

"Well, I wasn't _sure_ , but I reckoned there was a 95% chance you'd arrive here," he said. "I knew you'd think it was too risky to Apparate in daylight, so you'd most likely get the tube. Trains from Wallington go to Victoria or London Bridge, but the Victoria ones are quicker, and that meant you'd be on the Victoria line so you'd get off at Warren Street rather than Euston Square. ... Also, I _might_ have been trying to prove to you that I have a brain. Which may have backfired slightly, as I'm suddenly feeling quite stupid."

"No, no, I'm _very_ impressed," said Draco seriously. Harry laughed and punched him on the arm, and they started to walk towards the hospital. 

"You know, I'm relieved you're here," said Harry. "Last night felt a bit like a dream by the time I woke up. I did briefly wonder whether I'd imagined the whole thing."

"Maybe you did, and I'm just a figment of your imagination," suggested Draco helpfully.

"Hmm. I need more evidence. I think I'll reassess my theory when I've seen whether or not Hermione is in this hospital."

Draco grinned at him, and they walked the rest of the way to the ward in a companionable silence.

They arrived to find Hermione's bed empty, but Ron was asleep in the chair beside it. Harry put his hand out to shake him, but then hesitated. "I think I'll leave him to get some sleep while he can," he said. "He can't have got much last night."

Just then, a nurse wandered past and, in answer to their questions, explained that Hermione had gone to the plaster room but would be back soon, and would then be discharged. True enough, she reappeared ten minutes later in a wheelchair being pushed by an orderly. Her left wrist and forearm were encased in plaster, as was the whole lower half of her right leg, from knee to toes.

"Oh, hello, Harry," she said. "And Draco! You did come back! I'm so pleased."

"How are you feeling?" asked Harry. 

"Oh, much better, thank you," said Hermione. "This tramadol is amazing stuff. And the plaster process was fascinating. I always wanted to have a plaster cast when I was little, you know, just so I could see how they did it. So _that_ was fun. The only trouble is, it turns out I can't have a crutch! I was sort of looking forward to being Long John Silver."

"Why can't you have a crutch?" wondered Draco.

"Because I'd have to have it under my left arm – it's always the opposite side to the one with the injured leg – but I can't, because of my wrist. So I won't be able to do very much for myself till the plaster's off."

The nurse reappeared at that point, and Ron was woken in order to take charge of the bag of medication being sent home with Hermione, and to listen to instructions regarding administering it. He was also given an appointment card for the fracture clinic on Friday, and a load of leaflets about caring for patients with broken bones. The discharge forms were signed, and then the orderly was wheeling Hermione out to the ambulance bay, accompanied by Ron, while Harry and Draco carried all her bags. A black cab appeared immediately – Draco wondered briefly whether this might be due to magic, until he realised that the orderly had probably arranged it – and, with a great deal of difficulty, they got Hermione out of the wheelchair and into the cab. Ron, Harry and Draco followed her in, with Harry directing the cabbie to Grimmauld Place.

Getting Hermione _out_ of the cab, when they arrived, turned out to be a lot more difficult that getting her in: they hadn't thought, at the time, that the orderly was doing much, but things definitely went less smoothly without him. And that was before they realised that they had no wheelchair, so they'd have to more or less carry her into the house. 

By the time they were all inside, they were all exhausted. Hermione insisted on St Mungo's being contacted immediately, though. So Ron went there, and returned with a Healer, who examined Hermione and announced that she was healing well, all things considered, but that magical healing could definitely speed things up. He told them that she could be safely Apparated, thanks to the plaster casts; it wouldn't have been safe without them, though.

Two hours later, Hermione was ensconced in a private room at St Mungo's; Ron was again asleep in the chair by her bed; and Harry and Draco had just returned to Grimmauld Place, having promised to visit Hermione the following day.

"Well, I hope you'll forgive me if I dash off," said Draco. "I need to start getting things ready for tonight. What time d'you want to come?"

"I dunno. Seven o'clock?" said Harry. "Any time, really."

"No, seven's fine," said Draco. "Shall I come here to fetch you? Then you'll know where to Apparate to in future."

"Yeah, that's probably easiest," said Harry. "I'm really looking forward to it, I must say. But, before you go, there's one thing I've been wanting to do all morning."

Draco looked at him quizzically. Harry took his arm and pointed to the doorway of the living room, where a sprig of mistletoe was hanging. Draco grinned and led the way to it.

"Sadly, I don't trust myself not to get carried away if I do this properly right now," he said. "But I always think it's good to leave people wanting more, don't you?" He took hold of Harry's head with both hands, and kissed him firmly but briefly on the lips, before Apparating away.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Snow on the Houses of Parliament](http://poortravelblogger.com/li-wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/london-snow-11.jpeg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I didn't make as much progress as I wanted to, but we're getting there! Oh, and if you're curious, in my head Harry is wearing [this suit](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/groolover/1132691/74843/74843_original.jpg) and Draco is wearing [this one](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/groolover/1132691/75481/75481_original.jpg).

**If He Delight In Him - part 10**

When Draco reappeared in Harry's living room just before seven o'clock that evening, Harry was nowhere to be seen. When Draco called his name, though, he came galloping down the stairs.

"Bloody hell," said Draco, when Harry entered the room. "You look... really good."

Harry ducked his head slightly, clearly embarrassed, but he smiled, so Draco took that as permission to gaze a bit longer. Harry was wearing a black suit over a white shirt; his top button was open, but with a black skinny tie over it. Harry had also done something gel-related to his hair, and it was artfully tousled.

"Not only have I never seen you in a suit, I've never seen you with your hair any different," said Draco eventually. "I'm impressed. Did you do it yourself, or have you actually been out and had it done?"

Harry laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said. "I did it myself, but rest assured it's the only thing I know how to do to my hair. A barber suggested I should try it like this years ago, and I realised I quite liked it, so I made him show me how to do it. I don't do it very often, though – I like the look of it, but not the feel, at least not after the first few hours."

Draco nodded knowingly. "Well, it does suit you," he said. "As does the... well, suit."

"Thank you," said Harry simply. "And, look! We match!"

It was true. Draco was also in a black suit, but his unbuttoned shirt was black and he wore no tie. "We do," he said, feeling oddly pleased with this fact. "I have the urge to get someone to take a picture of us. In fact, hang on."

He took his iPhone out of his pocket and came and stood next to Harry. "I should warn you that I've never yet managed to take an adequate picture of myself with this," he said. "I think you'd need double-length arms for it to actually work. But it's better than nothing." He draped his arm round Harry's shoulders, inwardly applauding himself for his bravery, and held his phone away from them to take the photo.

"I know you _told_ me you had a phone in your pocket, but it's one thing to hear that and another to see you actually _using_ it," commented Harry when Draco removed his arm and stepped away. "I don't think I can wait much longer to hear the story of how you got to this stage."

"Well, you don't have to," said Draco. "Dinner is just about ready, and you are allowed to quiz me while we eat. Ready to go?" He held out his arm.

"Ready, willing and able," said Harry with a grin. He took hold of Draco's arm, and held his breath as they Apparated.

When they arrived in Draco's flat, Harry looked gratefully at Draco, who had held onto him an extra few seconds while Harry regained his balance. He looked around with interest.

"You haven't put your Christmas decorations up yet!" was his first comment. "Although I suppose _it_ is only the second of December."

"I never bother with Christmas decorations," said Draco. "They're too depressing."

Harry looked at him, puzzled. "Depressing? Christmas decorations? I've never heard them called _that_ before. Why are they depressing?"

Draco sighed. "Well, this will sound as if I'm feeling sorry for myself, and I'm not really," he said. "Especially not _today_. But... well, the first year I lived here (and don't worry, I'll tell you the whole story soon) I put up loads of decorations, just like we used to have at the Manor, to make it feel more like home. But by the time it got to Twelfth Night, no one but me had seen them. The same thing happened the next year. Eventually, I realised that what was depressing me most about Christmas was the fact that I was putting up all those decorations for no one but myself. So, the next year, I just didn't bother, and I was _much_ happier. So I've never bothered since."

"So it's not that you have anything against Christmas decorations in general?" asked Harry, looking troubled.

"Not at all," said Draco. "I love Christmas decorations. It was just too depressing having any _here_. I really do feel much better about Christmas since I stopped bothering with them."

Harry opened his mouth to speak, still looking bothered, but Draco cut him off. "I will tell you everything you want to know, I promise," he said. "But the food will be better if we eat it promptly. And I haven't introduced you to Kilgharrah."

Harry brightened. "Oh! Your cat!" he exclaimed. "Where is she?"

"Probably dashed into the bedroom to hide when she realised it wasn't just me," said Draco. "Hang on a second while I get her." He returned a moment later with the cat cradled in his arms, and stood still so that Harry could have a look at her. 

"She _is_ beautiful," Harry breathed. He tentatively reached out a hand to stroke her, and a moment later she started to purr.

"I think she likes you," said Draco, smiling fondly down at her. "Sadly, she'll still probably run and hide again if I put her down, but that's only because she doesn't often see anyone other than me." He loosened his hold, and as predicted the tabby leapt out of his arms and made a dash for the bedroom.

Harry watched her go, with a smile on his face. "I like the new you," he said. "Draco Malfoy, protector of cats and champion of Muggle technology. Who'd've thought it?"

"You've not seen the half of it," said Draco. "Apart from anything else, there is a _considerable_ amount of Muggle technology involved in the story of why my cat is called Kilgharrah. But first let's eat. Here, have a seat."

He led Harry to the small dining table, where two formal place settings awaited them. "You're the first person I've ever actually cooked a meal for, other than me," he confessed. "So please don't laugh too much if I do something wrong."

Harry smiled reassuringly. "Well, you're doing pretty well so far," he confided. "And, like I said, I'll eat anything, so you're fairly safe. Unless, you know, you actually manage to poison me."

"Trust me, if I was actually trying to poison you, you wouldn't know about it till you were dead," said Draco. Then he looked crestfallen. "Er. That probably wasn't the best thing to say at this stage, was it?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, I don't _actually_ think you'd try and poison me," he said. "I don't think you would have done that even when we were _enemies_ , and you've clearly changed a lot since then. So stop faffing around and bring me some food. I'm _starving_."

Draco flushed slightly, but grinned and went into the kitchen, returning with two bowls of soup and a plate of bread rolls.

"First course. Cream of mushroom," he said. "I haven't made it from scratch, sorry, but it's a good brand. And I _have_ made the main course properly."

"It looks lovely," said Harry, breaking up a bread roll and dumping the pieces in the soup, before scooping one into his mouth. "And it _tastes_ lovely," he said a moment later. "Now, intrigued as I am by the Kilgharrah question, the thing I most urgently want to know is: how did you end up in this flat? And how did you learn to cook?"

"That's _two_ things," Draco pointed out wryly. "But they _are_ sort of connected, so... Hmm, let's see. I'll try to give you the short version, because otherwise I suspect my soup will get cold and we'll never get to the main course, and if you want more details you can ask afterwards, OK?" Harry nodded his assent, and Draco took a mouthful of soup before continuing.

"So... after the war, and the trials, I didn't really know what to do with myself. Father was lucky not to get sent to Azkaban, but he was put on permanent house arrest, so Mother felt she'd better stay there with him. I couldn't face the idea of spending the rest of my life cooped up with the two of them, and they actively encouraged me not to, but I wasn't sure what the alternatives were. Most of my friends had left the country by then, and when I ventured into Diagon Alley I could see why – even though I'd been cleared of all charges at the trials (and thank you for testifying for me, by the way) people were still calling me names and hexing me in the street. But I didn't have any ideas about where to go. Then, one day, something my father said struck a chord. He was talking about how he'd realised that his ideas about Muggles had not been entirely accurate and that he'd like to find out the truth. And I realised that the same was true of me, but the difference was that I could do something about it. And once I'd got the idea in my head that I could move to the Muggle world, I couldn't stop thinking about it." He spooned some more soup into his mouth.

"But how did you actually _do_ it?" wondered Harry. "That's what I'm dying to know. It can't have been easy, but I'm amazed you could do it at _all_."

"It wasn't easy," admitted Draco. "But I didn't do it suddenly. Remember, I had nothing else to occupy my time at that point, and I couldn't really leave the house _unless_ it was to go to a Muggle destination, so I was able to concentrate. I spent a few weeks getting used to just being there: I'd just go through the gateway in the Leaky Cauldron into Charing Cross Road, and then spend all day just wandering and observing. I changed lots of my money into Muggle money at Gringotts, and after a while I got brave enough to spend it. The first thing I bought was a cup of coffee from a vending machine – it was disgusting, but I felt safer interacting with a machine before I tried it with a human. I was so proud of myself that I immediately went and bought a better cup of coffee from a street stall, and _that_ worked fine (and the coffee was better), so then I started buying all sorts of things. Books, especially, that I could take home and read: the most useful one I found was a book that gave advice to new university students moving away from home for the first time. That's how I found out how to rent a flat."

Harry was looking at him with admiration. "It's all starting to make sense now," he said. "So when did you actually move in? And why _here_ , specifically?"

"Why Wallington? Because I couldn't afford to live much closer to the city centre than this, and this flat suited me," said Draco. "Mainly because it's so near the station, yet relatively quiet. I realised quite early in my explorations that I wasn't often going to be able to Apparate, so transport links were important. And I moved in just before Christmas, 1998. Six months after the war ended."

"I have a _lot_ more questions," said Harry. "But please finish your soup before it goes cold."

"I need to get the main course out of the oven too," said Draco. "It'll be ready now." He quickly swallowed the rest of his soup before going over to the kitchen. He paused as he reached the door, though. "Harry, come over here and look! It's started snowing again!"

Harry joined him as he went over to the window. "So it is," he said. "Very pretty. And this is an amazing view. It almost looks as if you can see the centre of London from here, we're so high up."

"You can, sometimes, when the sky is clear," said Draco. "At least, I've definitely seen the London Eye. And the Shard, of course. I _thought_ I saw the Houses of Parliament once, but I might have imagined that. But it _is_ a good view."

"Not as good as the view inside the room," said Harry. Draco looked at him, puzzled, and Harry leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Now, is that roast chicken I can smell?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Snowy Hogwarts](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lq_jB0UnDro/TuUTTUP4ExI/AAAAAAAAAGM/QVFvtgF1Yb4/s1600/hogwarts_snow.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These prompts keep derailing my story! I suspect it's just that I'm not very good at this! I'm praying that _tomorrow's_ prompt allows me to finally get to the explanation of Draco's cat's name :-)

**If He Delight In Him - part 11**

It _was_ roast chicken, along with roast potatoes and garden peas. "I did think about doing Brussels sprouts, but so many people don't like them, so I decided not to risk it even though you said you'd eat anything," said Draco.

"I meant it," said Harry. "Sprouts would've been fine. But this is great too. Did you really cook it yourself? From scratch? I mean, you even peeled the spuds?"

"I did indeed," said Draco proudly. "I can show you the potato peelings in the bin, if you don't believe me."

"Oh, I do believe you, I'm just really, really impressed," said Harry. "So, that was going to be my next question. How did you learn to cook? You didn't just use books for _that_ , did you?"

"Books _were_ very useful," said Draco. "But, no. I got one of the Malfoy house-elves to show me. It took a _lot_ of persuasion before she understood that I really wanted to do it myself, but we got there in the end. And I didn't try to make the change suddenly; at first, I popped back to the Manor for at least one meal a day. And when I _did_ cook for myself, if anything went wrong I'd summon a house-elf to help fix it. But after a month or so I was able to feed myself with no help. It was amazingly satisfying, actually."

"I can imagine," said Harry. "So, do you still visit your parents regularly? How are they?"

"I go for Sunday lunch every week or two," said Draco. "I sometimes have to work on a Sunday, but I do try to visit them when I don't. And they're fine, thank you for asking. I thought they'd have hated having to stay in the Manor forever, but they seem OK with it. They do seem to walk in the grounds a lot more than they ever used to, though."

"That makes sense," said Harry. "And do they get visitors? They're not _totally_ on their own, are they?"

"They don't get many, but there _are_ a few people who pop round from time to time," said Draco. "Aunt Andromeda is probably the most regular, actually, and sometimes she brings Teddy."

Harry stared at him, shocked. "I didn't know that!" he protested. " _How_ did I not know that? Teddy's my godson! I didn't realise he'd even _met_ your parents."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise the plan needed your _approval_ ," said Draco, somewhat coldly.

"What? Oh... no, wait," said Harry, flushing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that. Of course it's great. I was just surprised no one had mentioned it, that's all."

"Maybe they thought you _wouldn't_ approve," said Draco, relenting. "It's well known that you and I didn't get on at school. In any case, you don't see Andromeda and Teddy that often yourself, do you?" 

Harry's shoulders slumped. "No," he admitted. "You're right. I'm a terrible godfather. I haven't seen them since... Wow. I haven't seen them since Teddy's last birthday! That was in April! I'm worse than I thought. ... I always _mean_ to visit more often, but something always seems to come up."

"If it's any consolation, I'm actually _related_ to them both, and I've hardly seen them at all," commented Draco. "Not deliberately; it's just that, since my parents don't have many visitors, they try to spread them out rather than have them all there together and then none for ages. It's a couple of years since I've actually seen them, but my parents tell me how they're getting on."

"I'm really pleased your mother made up with her sister," said Harry. "Even if apparently no one thought I'd be interested to _know_ that. I feel terrible that even when I _have_ been with them I've never asked them about their relatives."

"Well, in your defence, as far as you were aware they weren't on speaking terms, were they?" Draco pointed out. 

"True," said Harry. "Oh well. I know _now_ , at least. And I'll make sure I visit them as soon as I can."

"Well, Teddy'll still be at Hogwarts for another couple of weeks, of course," Draco reminded him. "But he'd love it if you visited him there, I'm sure. You could take him out to Hogsmeade. I used to love it when my parents did that."

"I haven't been to Hogwarts in ages," Harry mused. "Certainly not this year. I think the last time I was there was for a security meeting for the last Triwizard Tournament. I'd love to visit, actually. Particularly in winter. It was always so _pretty_ in the snow."

"It was," agreed Draco. "Your memories are fresher than mine, though. I haven't been back since the Battle."

"Why don't you come with me?" suggested Harry. "I'm sure Teddy would love to see you too."

Draco laughed hollowly. "I think you must have missed the bit of my story in which I explained that I _left the wizarding world_ ," he said. "I haven't been anywhere magical, other than the Manor, in over fourteen years."

Harry frowned. "Hmm," he said. "I'd forgotten that, for a moment. It just feels so natural sitting here talking to you. Anyway, it's not entirely true. You've been to the Burrow, and to my house."

"You're right," said Draco, surprised. "I was so focused on Hermione that the enormity of what I was doing didn't occur to me. But that doesn't mean that I'd feel comfortable going to Diagon Alley. Or to Hogwarts, for that matter."

"So your plan was to _never_ return to the wizarding world? Not under any circumstances?"

"I suppose so, yes," said Draco. "But there hasn't been anything to make me reconsider, so I haven't really thought about it. I just knew I wanted to get out, all those years ago, and I've been happier since. I still use magic, but I don't have to deal with the whole of the magical world hating me. It's a good compromise."

"I suspect you'd find that they might not hate you quite as much as you think, after all this time," said Harry. "Look at Ron, for example. He probably used to hate you more than anyone, but you've actually had a civil conversation with him only this morning."

"True," said Draco. "But I can't go back, even if no one hates me. I daren't risk it. One of the conditions of my parole was that I would be sent straight to Azkaban if I performed a single illegal spell, and I did, not long after I moved here. An Unforgivable."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Log fire](http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/images/wintersolstice/yulelog-fire_lg.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wednesdays will be the death of me! Kilgharrah _tomorrow_. I promise.

**If He Delight In Him - part 12**

Harry stared at him, his face suddenly expressionless. "You did an Unforgivable?" he said eventually. "I'm sure there must have been a good reason for that, but I have to admit I'm struggling to think what it might possibly have been. And... Oh, _dammit_ , Draco. You know I can't just not do anything about it."

Draco exhaled heavily. "I know that," he said. "I'm sorry. I forgot for a moment that you were an Auror. Head Auror, no less. It's been so long since I talked to _anyone_ about any of this, I got carried away. Please will you just hear me out, before you do whatever you have to?"

Harry gazed at him for another minute before nodding. 

"If I could have found any way to avoid it, I would have," said Draco. "I was about to say 'it was only Imperius', but I understand why it's still Unforgivable. I always _used_ to think that one was fairly harmless, till that lesson in fourth year with Moody and the spiders."

" _Fake_ Moody," Harry pointed out.

"Well, yes, but he was still right about the Imperius curse, wasn't he? And the others. I've never forgotten that lesson, and I bet you haven't either. Especially as you played more of a starring role in it than I did."

"Not by choice," said Harry, tersely. "But go on."

"I needed a job," said Draco. "Even if my family's money _had_ been limitless, I didn't want to feel that I was dependent on it. And it isn't limitless, especially after the war fines. It hasn't run out yet, but my parents are definitely being thriftier these days, and I didn't want them to have to support me."

"So you _Imperio_ ed someone into giving you a job?" Harry's face was still inscrutable, and Draco's heart sank a bit more.

"Not entirely," he said. "I'd been living here for a couple of months before I started looking for work. I figured I'd better get used to just _living_ before I tried anything more complicated. Then I saw an advert at the station over the road, for a ticket sales assistant. I'd already been looking through the job listings in the _Standard_ for a few days, but nothing had jumped out at me as something I thought I could do. But the ticket sales thing seemed straightforward enough. How hard could it be? I'd already seen what that job involved, because I used that station every time I went into town. I knew I could do it. So I asked for an application form, and that was when I realised the problem."

"Ah," said Harry. "I think I can see where this is going."

Draco nodded. "Not only did I have nothing I could put on the form, but I couldn't even make stuff up, because I knew they'd check it," he said. "But I _knew_ I could do the job, if they'd only let me. So... Please don't hate me. I asked to speak to the station manager, and I I _mperio_ ed him. I got him to fill in my application form with his own details. I changed the bits with name, address and date of birth, but kept everything else the same – educational qualifications, previous employment, hobbies, referees, the lot. Then I got him to tell HR that he'd interviewed a shortlist of candidates for the job, and he'd decided to offer it to me. I also got him to say that he'd contacted my referees and everything was fine. As soon as I'd been working there for a few weeks and it looked as if it was going to be OK, I ended the curse. And I promise I never got him to do anything other than what I've just told you. And I've never used any _other_ illegal spells."

Harry stood up and walked back to the window. Draco watched him, terrified, until he spoke.

"You're a better person than me, you know," said Harry after several minutes. He gazed out of the window, not looking at Draco.

This was _not_ what Draco had expected to hear. "What?" he said, baffled. 

"I used Imperius, you know, during the war," said Harry. 

"But you were..." started Draco. 

"Like you, at the time I couldn't see any alternative," Harry interrupted. "I used it on a Death Eater and a goblin, both at Gringotts. I don't think we'd have got out of there alive if I hadn't done it."

"But I don't see why that makes you a worse person than me," said Draco. "You don't just mean that it's because you used it _twice_?"

"No, it's because I never _ended_ the curse," said Harry, turning round. "For either of them. The goblin was OK – that waterfall thing in the bank removed the curse from him. But the last thing I did with that Death Eater was to tell him to hide. I didn't give him a moment's thought again until months afterwards, when I saw his name on a list of casualties from the Battle of Hogwarts. I even saw him at the battle, and it didn't occur to me that I still had him under Imperius. I have no idea whether or not it had worn off or been removed before he died. I assume _something_ must have removed it, because otherwise he'd still be hiding at Gringotts. But the fact remains that I used the curse on him and then forgot about him. And, not only that, but I'd totally forgotten about the whole thing until today. _That's_ why you're a better person than me."

Draco stood up and went over to the window to join Harry. They stood side by side, leaning on the window ledge. "We both know that's not true," said Draco, after a few minutes. "And I _could_ remind you that you had far more on your mind at that point than I did when I cursed the station manager, but you know that. The thing is, you're only human. And you were only a _seventeen-year-old_ human, remember. You were having to deal with a situation no teenage boy should have had to cope with. If you made a mistake, it doesn't mean you're a bad person. If you'd _Imperio_ ed him and then _deliberately_ left him under the curse, that would be a different matter. But you didn't, did you?"

"I suppose not," said Harry. "I still feel terrible about it, though. Especially because I'd forgotten all about it, yet I was all ready to judge _you_ for using an Unforgivable."

"Well, with good reason," said Draco. "And I know you still need to decide what you have to do about that. But can I be slightly selfish and ask if we can have our pudding while you're thinking about it? It seems silly for it to go to waste."

Harry smiled for the first time in a while. "Sure," he said. "That would be lovely. What have you got lined up?"

"Spotted dick tinned sponge pudding and custard," said Draco, smirking.

"Ooh, that was one of my cousin's favourites when I was little," Harry said, his eyes widening, when Draco brought it out of the kitchen. "They never let me try it myself, though. I always wanted to. It smelled amazing."

"I love it," said Draco. "Tell you what, I'll put the heater on and we can sit and eat in front of it. It's getting a bit colder again, isn't it?" He went over to the wall and switched on an electrical fake log fire. He sat on the sofa in front of it, and Harry joined him a moment later. "It's not quite as good as the real thing, but it's a lot better than nothing."

"It is," said Harry, and then they both lapsed into silence for quite some time.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Oxford Street Christmas lights](http://0.tqn.com/d/golondon/1/0/Q/6/0/-/Oxford-St-2.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a bit of crisis of confidence with this yesterday, but I'm determined to finish it. *stern face*

**If He Delight In Him - part 13**

"I'm absolutely stuffed," said Harry, eventually. "Listen, d'you fancy going for a walk? I think I need some fresh air while we talk."

Draco looked at him uncertainly. "So... you're not going to arrest me immediately?" he asked. "I was sure you would. I wouldn't blame you."

"No, I'm not going to arrest you at _all_ ," said Harry. "Let's go for a walk, and I'll tell you why. I need to walk off some of that food. Which was lovely, by the way. Thank you."

"OK," said Draco, relieved. "Where shall we go? There's nowhere round here I fancy walking."

"I haven't seen the Regent Street lights yet this year," said Harry. "They're always worth a look. And there's an Apparition point on Heddon Street."

"The Ziggy Stardust place? Huh. That's good to know. I don't know _any_ Apparition points in the city centre, apart from the one near the Leaky."

"I'll get you a list sometime. Remind me," said Harry. "Now, will we be warm enough? I didn't bring a coat."

"I could lend you one, but I think we'll be OK as long as we don't stay out too long," said Draco. "We can always pop back if it's too cold."

"True," said Harry. "Right, are you ready?" Draco took hold of his arm, and they Apparated.

On emerging from Heddon Street into Regent Street, they stopped and gazed for a moment at the Christmas lights. "Huh," said Harry. "They're not as impressive as I was expecting, actually. Although the antlery things are quite pretty. Who turned them on this year, do you know?"

"Who d'you think?" said Draco. "It was some of Team GB. It's been all about the Olympics this year. Did you see any of it, by the way? My parents seemed totally oblivious when I mentioned it, but I'm not sure whether that's just them or whether the wizarding world just didn't know anything about it."

"The Aurors knew, certainly," said Harry. "But no, it wasn't really a topic of conversation generally. Probably because of the lack of TV."

"That makes sense," said Draco. "I might not have been interested if it hadn't been for TV. I didn't even intend to watch any of it, but I put the opening ceremony on and was totally hooked. Within a few days I was obsessed with all sorts of sports. Water polo was a particular favourite."

"It's so weird to think of you watching TV," said Harry, as they started to walk up Regent Street. "Do you watch it a lot?"

"More than I should, probably," said Draco. "I never just put it on for the sake of it, though, like some people do. I switch it on to watch specific things. In fact, that reminds me: I promised I'd tell you about Kilgharrah. She's named after a character from my favourite TV programme."

Harry laughed out loud. "That's brilliant!" he said. "Ooh, look, there's Hamleys. I haven't been in there for ages. I'd forgotten about it till Hermione mentioned it. Pity it's shut. Anyway, which TV programme?"

"Promise not to laugh?" said Draco. Harry nodded, grinning. 

"It's called _Merlin_ ," admitted Draco. "It's a sort of re-imagining of the story of the young King Arthur. Merlin's not an old man in this; he's more or less the same age as Arthur."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "That sounds interesting," he commented. "So what's so good about it that means it's your favourite? And who's Kilgharrah?"

"Kilgharrah's a dragon that Merlin talks to sometimes," Draco explained. "And what I love about it is the relationship between Arthur and Merlin. In fact... No, wait a minute. Believe me, I do want to talk to you about Merlin and Arthur, because there's a whole other conversation that _that_ would lead to, but I can't cope with the strain of wondering what you're planning to do about what I told you."

"I'm not going to arrest you, I already told you that," said Harry. "For two reasons. Firstly, because it would be hypocritical of me, when I've done worse things myself with no penalty. But mainly because strictly you haven't broken the conditions of your parole. I remember the wording clearly, and it specifically said that you were 'not allowed to perform any illegal spell against any other witch or wizard'. I remember thinking at the time that it was odd that they used that terminology, rather than 'person'. But the fact remains that you haven't broken that condition."

They passed the Apple Store and Oxford Circus, and turned into Oxford Street, before Draco spoke. "Please don't take this to mean I'm not grateful, because I am," he said. "But... well, I'm extremely curious about why you happened to remember my parole conditions that specifically."

Harry smiled. "Two reasons, again," he said. "The first is that I asked about that wording when I became an Auror – not about your specific case, I mean, but about legal wording in general – and I made enough of a fuss that they changed it, so that now it does say 'person' and 'people' rather than 'witch or wizard'."

"That's quite an achievement," commented Draco. "And the second reason?"

"That would be because I've always paid more attention to you than you might have thought," said Harry. "And, now that I've found you again, I plan to do a lot more of that, if you'll let me."

Draco beamed at him and took his hand, and they walked along Oxford Street in silence, as it started to snow again.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Candy canes](http://cdn.makeandtakes.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/front-square-candy-cane-037.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but (hopefully) sweet tonight. More tomorrow. (Today was the day I was most likely to fail the challenge, so I'm quite proud I didn't!)

**If He Delight In Him - part 14**

By the time they reached Bond Street tube, the snow had become quite heavy, and Draco was shivering. 

"I think I've had enough fresh air for the time being – how about you?" he asked. 

"Yes, definitely," said Harry. "I'm freezing. It's pretty, though, isn't it? Let's see – I think there's an Apparition point in the middle of Grosvenor Square. That's near here, isn't it?"

"Follow me," said Draco, heading down a side street. When they reached the square, Harry stopped and stared.

"That's a very impressive building," he said. "Not exactly _beautiful_ , but definitely impressive. D'you know what it is?"

"Walk a few steps closer and I suspect you'll work it out for yourself," said Draco.

Harry did so. "Ohhhh," he said. "It's the American Embassy! Of course! I love the eagle. Can we go and have a closer look, or are you too cold?"

Draco grinned at him, and they approached the front entrance. There was a man dressed as Father Christmas standing outside, with a tray of sweets. 

"How much are they?" Harry asked him.

"Free of charge! Happy Christmas from the United States Embassy!" He held out the tray, and Harry and Draco both took a candy cane.

"I've never actually tried one of these before," commented Draco as they walked back towards the September 11 Memorial Garden. He put the end of it into his mouth and started sucking absently. 

"That looks... pornographic," said Harry.

Draco responded by moving the cane further into his mouth and sucking harder, his eyes twinkling. He didn't speak until Harry had Apparated them both back to Wallington, but then he withdrew the candy cane and placed it on an unused plate.

"Harry, I've really enjoyed this evening," he said. "And I hope there'll be many more to come. But I'm afraid that _this_ one will have to end sooner than either of us might like, because I have a 7am shift tomorrow, and I suspect that if I ask you to stay the night then I'll miss it. Will you forgive me?"

"Only if you promise we can meet again tomorrow, and continue from where we left off," said Harry. "Apart from anything else, we promised to visit Hermione. _And_ I still want to hear what you were going to tell me about Merlin. And you haven't told me _anything_ about your friends."

"The last two are related, actually," said Draco. "But I'll explain tomorrow. In any case, I've told you far more about _my_ life than you've told me about yours!"

"That's true, I suppose," said Harry. "I guess I'm sort of used to everyone knowing almost everything about me. You can ask me anything."

"I'll hold you to that," said Draco. "But, for now, I want to finish something I started earlier."

He took Harry's face in both hands and kissed him lightly on the lips. This time, though, he didn't stop; he deepened the kiss almost immediately, turning his head to get better access. Harry responded enthusiastically, wrapping his arms around Draco and kissing back. This went on for a few minutes before Draco walked a few steps backwards, pulling Harry with him, and then dropped to the sofa with Harry on top of him. 

He was delighted to find that Harry immediately adjusted his position so that more of his and Draco's bodies were touching; having done this, Harry started running his fingers through Draco's hair as their tongues explored each other's mouths. After a while, though, Harry pulled away, obviously reluctantly.

"If I don't stop now, you'll _definitely_ miss your shift," he said. "Promise me that next time we do this we won't have to stop?"

"Believe me, there's nothing I want more," said Draco. "But for now... goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Draco," said Harry, planting one last quick kiss on Draco's lips before popping out of sight.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Upside-down snowman](http://p.twimg.com/A9DAL8UCUAAiAwS.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hoping to up the rating today, but didn't get as far as I'd hoped. Maybe tomorrow!

**If He Delight In Him - part 15**

Monday mornings were always the busiest time of the week at the ticket office. Nowhere near as busy these days as before Oyster cards came in, of course, but there were still people who chose to buy 7 Day Travelcards, and most of them renewed their tickets on a Monday on the way to work; this being also the first Monday of the month, there were monthly Travelcard renewals as well (these didn't _have_ to be done on the first Monday of the month, of course, but there always seemed to be people who thought they did). On top of all this, there were several train cancellations and many delays, due to the snow. By ten o'clock, though, things had started to calm down, and Draco was finally able to think about the events of the night before.

His immediate concern was that he and Harry hadn't made specific arrangements for their next meeting; Harry knew that Draco had no way of contacting him other than face to face, but was Harry expecting him to just turn up, or would Harry come back to Wallington? And at what time? And would it be awkward?

Draco shook his head, exasperated with himself for that last thought. There was no reason why it _should_ be awkward, he decided. They'd managed to be quite mature about everything so far, after all. He smiled as he allowed himself to bask in the knowledge that Harry actually seemed to _like_ him. 

The basking only last for a minute before another customer turned up at the window, but Draco was in a sufficiently good mood that he hardly used _any_ sarcasm while explaining to the woman that she couldn't buy a 7 Day Travelcard unless she already had an Oyster card, and that, no, Wallington was _not_ one of the stations that was able to issue the latter.

By the time Draco's shift ended at 3pm, he had reached the conclusion that he was _probably_ brave enough to go to Grimmauld Place without a specific invitation, but he would feel more comfortable if Harry contacted _him_ , and therefore he would wait a few hours before going. When he got home, though, he was surprised to find a note stuck to the middle of the window.

_Draco,_

_I wasn't sure where to leave this, but I reckoned that with such an amazing view you were bound to look out of the window all the time! I hope you don't mind me coming into your flat while you were out, but I didn't like to disturb you at work. I promise I didn't snoop round – I just stroked the cat, stuck the note on the window, then left._

_Hermione's out of St Mungo's now, and she's at home. Shall I come and collect you so I can show you where they live? I've taken the afternoon off work, and I'm assuming you must have finished by teatime if you started at 7am, so I'll come for you at 6pm unless you tell me otherwise. Just write on the back of this note if you need to, and then touch your wand to it; I've enchanted it to come back to me if you do that._

_See you soon,_

_Harry_

_P.S. I'm not planning to spend the whole evening at Ron and Hermione's, in case you were wondering – I'm very keen to continue our 'discussion' from last night!  
_

Draco read the note three times before he grinned and put it in his pocket. "Well, Kilgharrah," he said. "What do you think of _that_ , my beautiful girl? It's looking good, isn't it?"

The cat, who was curled up next to the radiator, turned her head ever so slightly and gazed balefully at Draco. He knelt down to stroke her, and she immediately stretched out brazenly, baring her belly. He laughed.

"You're a bad influence on me, you know," he told her. "I'd better restrain myself from doing things like _that_ when I see Harry. Although maybe he might quite like it! Now, the question is, what shall I wear?"

He went into the bedroom to look through his clothes, but then remembered that he hadn't been online since Saturday afternoon. He doubted he'd be able to catch up on his internet obsession in the next two hours, but it was worth a try. The result was, of course, that when Harry appeared in front of him he was still on the sofa in his work clothes.

Harry stared at him, then grinned. "I promise that eventually I'll get over this, because I'm sure it must be getting boring, but for the moment I really need to say it: you're using a _computer_."

"Harry, I've been in the Muggle world for fourteen years," said Draco. " _Everyone_ uses computers."

"I know, it's just... still strange to see _you_ doing it!" said Harry. "Sorry. I will try to stop going on about it. Anyway, have you had a good day?"

"Better than most Mondays, yes, thank you," said Draco. "I kept smiling to myself, for reasons that totally escape me." He put the laptop down and stood up to greet Harry with a kiss.

"Not that I _want_ to stop this," said Harry after a few minutes, "but I told Ron we'd be there just after 6. Are you ready to go? We'll continue this later, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that," said Draco. "I meant to get changed, but I got distracted. I suppose I could go like this, though."

"You look fine to me," said Harry. "Shall we?"

He held out his arm, and Draco took it. A moment later they were in front of a picturesque small cottage covered in ivy, with a sign on the door saying _Pixie View_. Harry banged the door knocker, and a moment later Ron appeared.

"Oh, hiya, Harry," he said. "And Malf... Draco. Come in out of the cold."

Harry and Draco stamped their feet on the mat to remove the snow, then followed Ron through to the back of the house, where Hermione was sitting in an armchair by the window.

"Draco!" she cried. "I'm so glad you came!"

"Oy, what about me?" complained Harry, grinning.

"I only saw you fifteen minutes ago, you idiot," Hermione reminded him. "But it feels like _ages_ since I saw Draco, even though it was only yesterday morning."

"You're looking much better now," commented Draco. "I see the plaster's off, and I can't see any bruises. What did the Healers say?"

"It's all fine," said Hermione. "They've fixed everything. It was really quick, actually; they just kept me in so I could rest afterwards. They said I should probably take it easy for a couple of days, because apparently those Muggle painkillers can sometimes react badly to magic, but I'm more or less sorted. I'm only sitting down because Ron insisted."

"You don't rest enough as it is," said Ron, appearing from the kitchen with a cup of tea for Hermione. "It'll be good for you to sit still for a day or two. And I'd feel better if you did. Do _you_ two want a drink?"

Harry and Draco both opted for coffee, and Ron went to make it. 

"I've already told him I'll do as I'm told," said Hermione. "I'm already getting twitchy, though. But I've got lots of reading to catch up on, so I'll be fine."

"You mean to say you weren't sufficiently entertained by Harry's snowman?" demanded Ron, reappearing with the drinks. 

Draco looked at Harry inquiringly. Harry laughed and pointed out of the window. Draco went over to peer out. The sky was already dark, but a snowman _was_ just about visible. 

"..... What happened?!" asked Draco, still gazing at the bizarre creation.

Hermione giggled. "He'd never made one before," she explained. "It... didn't quite work. But it was _very_ funny to watch."

"I'd seen them, of course," said Harry, coming up behind Draco and putting his arms round him. "But somehow, while I was making it, I forgot that the top bit should be the smallest. I got a bit carried away. So I was going to start again, but Ron pointed out that if we put the face on the bottom bit then we could have an upside-down snowman. So we did."

"It was too cold to start again anyway," said Ron. "... Hang on a minute. When did _this_ happen?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Wine and candles](http://www.freechristmaswallpapers.net/images/wallpapers/Christmas-Candles-and-Wine-564138.jpeg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very little progress today, because of other circumstances. I will get the story to move on eventually!

**If He Delight In Him - part 16**

"Oh, honestly, Ron," scolded Hermione. "Didn't you listen to _anything_ Harry was saying this afternoon?"

"Course I did," said Ron. "But he didn't say anything about any of _this!"_ He waved his hand vaguely in the direction of Harry and Draco, who had turned to face him; Harry still had one arm round Draco's waist.

"It wasn't so much what he said as the way he _said_ it," explained Hermione patiently. "When was the last time we heard Harry sound that excited about _anything?"_

"I'm standing right here, you know," protested Harry. "Please try not to embarrass me too much."

"I did notice he seemed in a bit of a good mood," mused Ron. "But, unless someone's been lying to me, you two hadn't seen each other in _years_ until Saturday night. So I don't understand how _this_ can have happened in just two days." 

"No one's been lying to you," said Harry. "Before Saturday, I hadn't seen him since the war. And, on the one hand, I don't really understand it myself, and on the other it feels like the most natural thing in the world. We... seem to have a connection."

Draco looked up at him and smiled, and Harry gave him a quick kiss. Ron stared for a moment, and then laughed. 

"I should've known," he said. "We _all_ should've known. You've never paid as much attention to _anybody_ as you have to Malfoy."

"Draco," Harry reminded him.

"Draco," Ron agreed. "Well, I have to admit that he does seem to be a bit better than he used to be. So maybe it won't all end in tears. But it goes without saying, Draco, that if you hurt Harry then I will... You know what? I'll set Hermione on you."

Draco grinned. "Now _that's_ a scary thought," he said. "To this day, she remains the only person who has ever punched me in the face. Not an experience I care to repeat. But you needn't worry: I have no intention of hurting Harry. The attraction goes both ways."

"Well, I'm very happy for you both," said Hermione. "And I'm sure you're keen to go off and do things that are oddly exciting to think about, but you _will_ stay for dinner first, won't you?"

"Of course we will," said Harry, while Ron was staring at Hermione with a puzzled look on his face. "Oddly exciting?!" Ron muttered to himself, as he went into the kitchen. 

"Will you set the table, please, Harry?" Hermione asked. "I thought we might do it properly, with candles and everything. It's ages since we've sat down to a meal together, isn't it? We must get back into the habit."

"We really must," agreed Harry. "I know we've all been busy, but that's no excuse. It's not as if we don't have to eat, after all. Let's agree that we eat together at least once a week, shall we?"

"That would be lovely – I miss our meals," said Hermione. "And, Draco, you're included, of course. I'm looking forward to hearing about your Muggle life. Harry's told us a bit, but I want lots more details! Don't feel you have to do that tonight, though."

Draco was taken aback. "I'd love to join you," he said. "Thank you very much for making me feel so welcome. It's more than I deserve, I think. But please don't feel you need to invite me every time. I know you three have a special bond, and I'd hate to intrude on that."

"You wouldn't be intruding at all," Hermione reassured him. "The thing is, although obviously Harry's the most important person to both of us after each other, for a very long time now we've been a couple plus one, rather than a trio. Harry's never complained, but I know he's felt like a third wheel sometimes. In fact, now that I think about it, that may well be why we stopped spending so much time together. So you'd actually be _helping_."

Harry looked up awkwardly. "It's true," he admitted. "I did start to feel a bit uncomfortable being with you two all the time, so I deliberately backed away a bit. I would never have said so, though – I felt a bit silly."

"There's nothing silly about it – it's perfectly natural," said Hermione. "But if Draco manages to bring us closer together again, that's just a bonus. He's obviously already made you happier."

Draco blushed. "Is there anything I can do to help with dinner?" he asked, keen to change the subject. 

Hermione smiled knowingly. "Well, you could open the wine while Harry's setting the table," she said. "There's a bottle of Shiraz on the shelf over there that would go nicely with the beef stroganoff. The glasses and the corkscrew are in the cupboard underneath."

Harry jumped up guiltily and went to fetch cutlery, while Draco followed Hermione's instructions. Ten minutes later, the places were set, the candles were lit and the wine was poured, and Harry, Draco and Hermione were just taking their seats at the dining table when Ron carried in the dish of stroganoff.

"That smells delicious, Ron," commented Draco. "You've made it difficult for me if you ever come to _my_ house for a meal, though. That's one of my favourite things to cook."

"I am _dying_ to come to your house for a meal, because I don't think I'll believe you actually cook until I see it," said Ron. "But I'll be interested to know how my stroganoff compares to yours. Cheers, everyone!"

They clinked their wine glasses together, and then the only sounds to be heard were the sounds of eating.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Christmas tree cupcakes](http://www.channel4.com/media/images/Channel4/4Food/recipes/cakes/christmas_cupcakes/XmasTrees_500_A1.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may kill me for stopping where I've stopped today – sorry! I promise they'll continue very soon, though :p

**If He Delight In Him - part 17**

After the meal, Harry volunteered himself and Draco to do the washing up. Ron thought this was an excellent plan, and stood in the kitchen doorway, sipping his wine and making suggestions... until, that is, Harry threw a wet dishcloth at him, and he retreated to the dining room.

The washing up was soon finished, and Draco and Harry rejoined Hermione and Ron. "You know what? I have the urge to do some baking," said Hermione. "I haven't done any for ages, and I started thinking about it when you two were talking about cooking."

"It's probably sensible to bake when we've just had a huge meal," said Ron. "That way, we might not eat everything _instantly_. What were you thinking of making?"

"Cupcakes," said Hermione. "They're easy and fairly quick, and I've never tried that spell your mum showed me last year. You know, the one to make the icing shape itself like Christmas trees."

"I tried making cupcakes a few weeks ago," said Draco. "I'd never done it before. They weren't very successful, though."

"Did you burn them?" asked Harry, grinning.

"No, they cooked OK, although they didn't rise very much," said Draco. "The texture wasn't quite right, but they were edible. At least, I ate them all, and they tasted OK, and I wasn't sick. No, the real problem was with the icing. It didn't set, even after twenty-four hours. And I was fairly sure I'd followed the recipe exactly."

"That's odd," said Hermione. "Did you work out what went wrong?"

"Not at first, but eventually I decided that the problem must be with the lemons," said Draco. "The recipe said lemon zest, but I didn't have a zester thingy. I had a potato peeler, and I did find a few places online that said I could get the zest with that, but I also found some other places that said I could just use lemon juice instead. And that seemed easier, so I did that. But I think it was the extra liquid that must have caused it not to set. And maybe that's what affected the texture too."

Harry started to laugh as Draco finished speaking, and Draco looked at him, bewildered. He followed Harry's gaze, though, and started to laugh himself. Hermione and Ron were both gazing at him, open-mouthed.

"It takes some getting used to, doesn't it?" said Harry. "Wait till you see his flat. He's got a telly and a laptop and... well, all the normal electrical stuff that wizards don't have."

"And a cat," Draco reminded him.

"Oh yes, mustn't forget the lovely Kilgharrah," said Harry. "Did I say that right?"

Draco nodded, smiling. 

"Kilgharrah – as in the dragon from _Merlin?"_ asked Hermione.

Draco beamed at her. "You know about _Merlin?"_ he exclaimed. "I didn't really think any wizards would. Yes, I got her as a kitten in 2008 when the show had just started."

"My parents are huge fans," Hermione explained. "They've got all the DVDs. And every time I visit they have loads of questions for me about whether or not such and such a spell is realistic. I've actually seen every episode, up to about three weeks ago – that's the last time I visited. We don't have a TV here."

"I've got one at Grimmauld Place, but I don't have time to watch it very often," said Harry. "I think I've seen trailers for _Merlin_ , but I've never actually watched it. You'll have to introduce it to me."

"Does the TV work OK there, then?" wondered Draco. "I was always told that electrical things wouldn't work in magical environments, but I've found it's not quite as straightforward as that. Everything electrical in my flat works fine, although sometimes things switch themselves off if I do a spell near them."

"Harry and I have talked about this before," said Hermione. "We think it must somehow depend on the amount of overall magic in the area. So nothing works at Hogwarts; not much works at the Burrow; a few things work in this house; but a lot more things work at Grimmauld Place, because it's in a Muggle area."

"As you say, though, things do get temperamental if I do magic anywhere near them," said Harry. "But I don't often need to do spells near the telly, so it's fine. Anyway, much as I'd love to stay and discuss electricity and _Merlin_ , I have other things I want to discuss with Draco, so we'd better get going – if that's OK with you, Draco?" Draco grinned and stood up. 

" _Discuss?"_ said Ron. " _That's_ what they're calling it these days? I am so behind with the proper terminology. Must've been married too long."

Harry laughed. "You're just jealous," he said. "Don't worry, though, I'm sure Hermione will be able to find some way to entertain you, despite her recent injuries. She's a trooper."

"Didn't you say you were leaving, Harry?" asked Hermione loudly, blushing. 

Harry laughed again and took hold of Draco's arm.

"Back to your place?" he asked. 

Draco nodded. "Thank you very much for the meal, Ron," he said. "Hermione, I'm very glad you're feeling better. I'll see you both again soon, I hope."

"We'll hold you to that," said Hermione, as they Apparated.

As soon as they reappeared in Draco's flat, Draco found himself pressed up against the wall, being thoroughly kissed. 

"I've been wanting to do this all night," said Harry, when he finally took a breath.

"Well, don't stop on _my_ account," urged Draco, and the snogging continued.

"Bedroom?" asked Harry at the next pause. Draco responded by grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him towards the only part of the flat Harry had not yet seen.

They fell onto the bed still kissing, causing an outraged "MIAOW!" from Kilgharrah, who had been sleeping there. She ran out of the room in disgust, but for once Draco paid her no attention.

"What time d'you have to be at work next?" asked Harry breathlessly, running his fingers through Draco's hair.

"Seven o'clock tomorrow morning, and I finish at three," said Draco, removing Harry's glasses. "How about you?"

"I set my own hours, really, but I'm usually in for nine o'clock, and I'd better not be late tomorrow, because I took the afternoon off today so there'll probably be loads of things waiting for me to deal with," said Harry. "But until then I'm all yours. Unless there's an emergency and I get called in."

Draco looked at him, dismayed. "You can't say that out loud!" he protested. "You know what'll happen! ... Wait, what's that in your pocket? Is it _supposed_ to be that hot?"

Harry removed a glowing coin from his pocket, with an apologetic look at Draco. "It's the Ministry," he said. "I have to go."


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Outdoor ice rink](http://www.mybackyardicerink.com/image-files/outdoor-skating-rink-somerset-house-london-england.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE NOTE INCREASED RATING, especially if you're reading at work! I've had this scene in my head since the start, but it's taken me a while to get them here. I only hope LJ will fix itself in time for me to actually post this for the challenge. It's currently 2.45am and LJ's been down all night, and I need to sleep! But at least I can put it on AO3.

**If He Delight In Him - part 18**

"I'm so sorry, Draco," said Harry, standing up. "If it turns out to be only something quick, I'll come back, but, if they're calling me in, it must be something major. I doubt I'll be able to make it back to you tonight."

"Oh well," said Draco. "I've managed without you all these years; I should be able to wait another day. If I do a lot of wanking, anyway."

Harry stared at him and then grinned. "I'm going to have to try not to think too much about _that_ image while I'm at work, or I'll never get anything done," he said. "Better dash now, though. See you tomorrow afternoon?"

"Definitely," said Draco. "Should I come to _you_ , for a change?"

"I'd like that," said Harry. "I'll expect you as soon after three o'clock as you can make it. Just Apparate straight into the living room. And I really am sorry about tonight." He gave Draco a quick kiss and vanished.

"Kilgharrah!" called Draco. "Where are you hiding? Come here and let me cuddle you. I need comforting." 

The cat, predictably, did not appear, but Draco soon found her curled up in her favourite spot next to the radiator. He picked her up and wrapped his arms around her.

"I think this is the one, my beautiful girl," he said. "Me and Harry. Who'd've thought it? I just hope I don't do anything stupid to ruin it. You'll stop me if it looks like I'm about to, won't you?"

Kilgharrah purred agreeably, and Draco continued stroking her, lost in thought.

*****

The next day, Draco didn't have much time for daydreaming about Harry while he was at work. There were fewer ticket sales than on Monday, but a large number of unusually complicated route enquiries. Eventually, though, it was five to three and, as soon as Draco had dealt with his current customer, he could leave.

"Somerset House? For the ice rink? Well, the nearest tube is actually Temple, on the District and Circle lines, but it's not much further from Covent Garden, Charing Cross or Embankment. Or Waterloo or Blackfriars, for that matter."

"I looked it up online, and the TfL website said I should go via West Croydon and Canada Water to Waterloo," said the customer, an earnest young businesswoman. "But that seems like a really long way round. Which way would _you_ say is quickest?"

" _Canada Water?_ Really?" Draco quickly entered the journey into his computer to check. "Good grief, you're right: it does say that. I agree, that _does_ seem a long way round. To be perfectly honest, I'd use the most direct route: train from here to Victoria; District or Circle line to Temple. Should get you there in just over an hour."

The woman thanked him, and used her Oyster card to get through the turnstile and onto the platform. Draco logged off his computer and stood up, stretching. 

"Alright, Draco?" said his colleague Joanne, taking his seat. "Been busy?"

"Busier than usual for a Tuesday, but not horrendous," said Draco. "Nothing exciting to report. See you tomorrow."

Joanne nodded absently and waved as she logged onto the computer, and Draco left the station, pulling his coat on as he walked. He went back to his flat only to say hello to Kilgharrah and shower and change, and then Apparated to Grimmauld Place.

Harry was nowhere to be seen, so Draco called his name. A moment later, there were footsteps coming down the stairs, and then he heard Harry's voice calling: "Come out into the hall."

Draco did so, and caught his breath when he saw that Harry was wearing nothing but the same grey pyjama bottoms that he'd been wearing on Saturday night when Draco had first seen him. He opened his mouth to comment on this, but Harry held up his hand to stop him.

"Listen, Draco, I want to do something, but I'm a bit nervous, so please will you do me a favour and not speak at all, just for the moment? Because I think I'll lose my nerve if you say anything."

Draco, intrigued, nodded and looked at Harry expectantly. 

"Right. Right," said Harry, his face very flushed. "Erm, please could you come and stand just inside the front door, with your back to the door?" Draco raised his eyebrows, but obeyed silently. Harry turned to face him, with one hand on the banister; he took several deep breaths before speaking again.

"When I got home after I saw you on Saturday night, I went straight to bed, but I didn't sleep for quite a while, because I was thinking about you. Most of all, I was thinking about the way you _looked_ at me when you first saw me, and I was dressed like this. I don't think anyone had ever looked at me quite like that before, and the fact that it was _you_ made it even better. And I lay in bed replaying the scene again and again, and after a while I think I fell asleep and started dreaming, and the scene started to end differently. And, ever since then, I've been fantasising about actually _doing_ what I did in my dream."

Harry pulled down his pyjama bottoms and stepped out of them, standing completely naked in front of Draco, who gaped. He'd already been gazing at Harry's torso, of course, but now here was a very impressive cock – a very _hard_ impressive cock – jutting proudly out of a small thatch of dark hair. As Draco stared at it, Harry started to stroke it, gently at first but getting gradually firmer.

"I've never done this in front of anyone before," confessed Harry, his eyes fixed on Draco's face. "But just the _thought_ of doing it in front of _you_ has been making me come harder than I've ever come before, for the last two days. I've been imagining you staring at my cock, like you're doing now – do you like my cock, Draco? It looks as if you do. And I've been imagining wanking in front of you, like I'm doing now. I've been picturing you following my hand with your eyes as it moves up and down on my cock, like you're doing now. I've been thinking about how your eyes might widen when I use my other hand to play with my balls at the same time, like I'm doing now. And, most of all, I've been imagining coming in front of you, like I'm about to do now. Can I come in front of you, Draco? Would you like that?"

"Harry, I want you to come _on_ me," said Draco, fervently.

And Harry did.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Christmas hunk](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fTT9xlgZ9CU/R2vS7WclhlI/AAAAAAAACWc/mAqPFgJvC58/s1600/ChristmasHunk6.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short one tonight, due to Wednesdays being impossible. But no more Wednesdays in the challenge after this one! \o/

**If He Delight In Him - part 19**

Harry leaned back against the wall, spent, as Draco stepped forward and kissed him, ignoring the fact that his face and clothes were covered in Harry's come. 

"That is the hottest thing I have _ever_ seen," Draco informed Harry. "I think I must be still asleep and dreaming."

Harry laughed and licked some of the come off Draco's cheek. "I didn't think I was going to be able to go through with it, but then I saw you in that coat – you look _amazing_ in that coat, by the way – and I couldn't help myself. Now, can I persuade you to come back to bed with me? I want to see what's _under_ the coat."

"I think that could be arranged," said Draco. "Wait, come _back_ to bed? It's half past three in the afternoon!"

"Well, I was at the Ministry till nine this morning," explained Harry. "All sorted out now, so I won't bore you with the details, but it left me in need of sleep. So I wasn't just dressing up like this for you!"

"You're very welcome to, though, any time you feel the urge," said Draco, stepping back and gazing at Harry's body again. He noted that Harry's cock was already half-hard again, and gave it an experimental grope. 

Harry shuddered in delight. "Bed," he announced, taking Draco's hand and leading him upstairs.

In the bedroom, Harry pulled Draco onto the bed as soon as they reached it, but Draco stood up again, laughing. "Fair's fair," he said. "I'm feeling oddly brazen, so let's see if I can give _you_ a show. Oh, and maybe I can even go one better."

He reached into his coat pocket and produced a Santa hat, placing it on his head. "We were wearing these at work today," he explained. "Someone thought it'd be _festive_." Harry laughed and lay back against the headboard, idly stroking his cock, as Draco knelt in front of him and slowly removed his clothes. He was sure he was blushing all over, but Harry certainly seemed to be enjoying the view if the expression on his face was anything to go by, so Draco felt encouraged to continue. 

When he was down to nothing but his boxer briefs and the Santa hat, he paused with his hand at his waistband, suddenly nervous. "Harry... I haven't misunderstood, have I? I'm hoping this isn't just a one-off... don't get me wrong, I'm not stopping now even if it _is_ just a one-off, because, well, _look_ at you! But I'd very much like it if it _wasn't_ just a one-off."

"Draco, as far as I'm concerned this is just the start of what I hope could be a wonderful life together," said Harry. "It's _not_ just a one-off, trust me. So please will you show me your cock now?"

And Draco did.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Snowman ornaments](http://travel-tips365.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Christmas-in-London.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short one, sorry. This week is _killing_ me. Tomorrow might be slightly better though.

**If He Delight In Him - part 20**

Harry reached forward and pulled Draco towards him by grabbing his buttocks. This brought Draco's erection right up to Harry's lips.

Harry looked up at Draco. "Can I?" he asked. 

Draco nodded quickly. "Be my guest," he said, slightly croakily. He put his hands in Harry's hair, and then threw his head back and moaned as Harry's lips closed round the tip of his cock. 

The man's tongue should probably be illegal, Draco decided, as Harry did unbelievable things with it while slowly swallowing more and more of Draco's cock. Harry managed to get more than half the length in his mouth before gagging slightly and pulling his head back.

"Sorry," said Harry huskily. "I've never managed to deep-throat anyone. But don't worry, I haven't finished yet."

"No need to apologise," said Draco. "This is more attention than my cock's had in _years_ from anyone other than me, so it's all good."

Harry looked at him, surprised. "Really? That's such a waste... although I won't deny I like the idea of you not having any distracting memories of other blokes. I still want to hear all about that part of your life... but not until I've finished getting to know this part of your _body_."

Draco laughed as Harry returned his attention to his cock. He licked a stripe up the full length of one side and back down the other, before moving to lap gently at Draco's balls, causing Draco to gasp.

"Harry, I'm close," he said breathlessly. Harry grinned, gave both balls one last firm lick, and then engulfed the cock again with his lips, sucking hard. It was indeed only a matter of seconds before he had a mouth full of come, which he swallowed, licking his lips.

Draco kissed him, and then sat back and looked at him. "I can't believe I'm here," he admitted. "Thank you."

"What are you _thanking_ me for?" asked Harry, sounding puzzled. "I should be thanking _you_. Do you have any idea how amazing you look – and _feel_? You're kind of my ideal bloke – you always have been, actually."

Draco stared at him, delighted. "Well, I find that very hard to believe, but it's nice of you to say so," he said. "Now, I'm very keen to suck _your_ cock, but do you mind if we have a bit of a rest first? You've kind of blown my mind a bit."

Harry beamed and pulled Draco down to the bed, turning him until they were spooning. Harry used one hand to pull the duvet over them both, before enfolding Draco in his arms. "I haven't got to be anywhere before tomorrow – have you?" he asked. 

"Not even tomorrow," said Draco. "I've got the day off. I don't have to be at work until Thursday afternoon."

"Excellent," said Harry sleepily. "Let's have a nap before round two, then, shall we?"

Draco tried to keep his eyes open so that he could look around the room and memorise it in case he never got the chance to be in it again; he had no reason to disbelieve Harry when he said it wasn't a one-off, but Draco's lack of self-esteem caused him to be wary. 

He noticed, as he catalogued his surroundings, that Harry had hung several porcelain snowmen from the curtain rail, and they were all moving ever so slightly, catching the glow from the street lights outside in the square, which had just come on. The snowmen each wore a big smile, and Draco realised that his own mouth was fixed in a huge grin, and had been ever since he'd lain down. Experimentally, he tried to _stop_ smiling, but found that his mouth instantly returned to its grin. 

He closed his eyes, still grinning uncontrollably, and fell asleep soon afterwards, revelling in the sensation of Harry's arms around him.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Nutcracker soldier](http://www.pringleandzimring.com/store/pc/catalog/5163_NutcrackerSoldier1_D.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was at the markets in question last night and noticed the Nutcracker soldier just like Harry and Draco did… and I hadn't seen the prompt at that point! So I had to include that.

**If He Delight In Him - part 21**

"Draco."

"Draco."

Draco stirred. Why was someone saying his name? Where was he, anyway? And... was someone _holding_ him? Then, all of a sudden, he remembered what had happened. He opened his eyes and found Harry gazing at him with a warm smile on his face.

"Harry," said Draco sleepily. "You weren't a dream. Glad you weren't a dream."

Harry laughed, and Draco enjoyed feeling the vibration of his chest. "I'm glad I wasn't a dream as well," Harry said. "How do you feel? You've been asleep for _ages_. I think round four must have exhausted you."

Draco grinned. "It was worth it, though," he said. "Even though I'm aching in places I'd forgotten I could ache. It's been a while. What time is it, anyway? What _day_ is it?"

"Still only Wednesday," said Harry. "Wednesday teatime, though. We've been in this bed for the last twenty-four hours. Don't take this the wrong way, but... d'you think we should have a shower?"

"Shower sounds good," said Draco. "And I'm sure I _do_ smell, don't worry. I hope there's room for both of us? I like the thought of round five in the shower. I suspect you look good when you're wet."

"Round five in the shower it is," agreed Harry, kissing him on the forehead. "And afterwards, if we can still walk, I quite fancy going out for a bit of fresh air – are you up for that?"

Round five turned out to be a long one, but they did eventually make it out of the shower. "I'm just going to pop home for ten minutes before we go out, if that's OK," said Draco. "I need a change of clothes, but more importantly I want to check Kilgharrah's alright. I hardly ever leave her overnight."

"Of course," said Harry. "Shall I join you there when I'm dressed?"

Draco nodded and Apparated.

By the time Harry appeared, Draco was lying on his bed cuddling Kilgharrah, who was basking in the attention. Draco looked up at Harry. "It seems weird to see you with clothes on," he commented, grinning.

"It felt weird _putting_ them on, actually," admitted Harry. "I don't think I've ever spent that long naked before. It was good, though. We should do that again."

"I'm definitely up for that," said Draco. "Now, where d'you have in mind for tonight?"

"Manchester," said Harry.

" _Manchester?_ Why Manchester? Not that I'm complaining – I've never been there."

"I was up there last week on a case," said Harry. "And they have these amazing Christmas markets. I looked them up afterwards, and it turns out they're the best Christmas markets in the UK. But I didn't have time to look round while I was there, so I thought we might pop up there now."

Draco smiled and took hold of Harry's arm, and a moment later they were emerging from an alley near a church that seemed to be called "The Hidden Gem". True enough, in the very next road there were dozens of market stalls, and Draco and Harry started wandering among them.

"This road is just part of it," Harry explained. "There are eight parts of the market, but they're all in a relatively small area."

"The stalls all look amazing," said Draco. "And the smells have made me realise how hungry I am. Look, that one's got crepes – I quite fancy a crepe, don't you?"

"For starters, yes," said Harry. "Then something meatier. And some beer. I'm suddenly starving."

"Well, that'll be because we've hardly eaten anything in over a day," Draco pointed out. "And we've expended a _lot_ of energy."

"Can't argue with that," said Harry. "Hmm, that's weird. Have you noticed that lots of these stalls have some of the same things, even though they're actually selling totally different things?"

"You mean the Nutcracker soldier?" said Draco. "I was just thinking the same thing. That's about the sixth one we've seen since we arrived! That crepe stall has one, but so did that stall with the woolly hats, and the one with the hog roast, and... well, I forget, but there were others."

"And all the craft stalls seem to have a section of animal ornaments made from thin twigs. Odd," said Harry.

"It's all lovely, though," said Draco. "Thank you for showing it to me. Now, are you going to buy me a crepe or not?"


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Father Christmas](http://www.picturethisgallery.com/Artists/Morrissey,%20Dean/Portrait%20of%20Father%20Christmas%20by%20Dean%20Morissete.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly the prompts are being convenient after weeks of them being a pain! Very handy for Father Christmas to turn up as a prompt when I already had them standing a few feet from him (although you didn't realise that!) You can [follow the Manchester Santa on Twitter](http://twitter.com/MCRSanta), by the way :-)

**If He Delight In Him - part 22**

As it turned out, Draco bought the crepes – one for himself with banana and chocolate, and one for Harry with apple and cinnamon – because Harry didn't have any Muggle money on him. There was a table with benches nearby, under a tented roof, and they sat there while they ate. 

"My arse is wet," grumbled Draco. "This tent doesn't seem to have kept _any_ of the rain off the benches. You'd think they'd have known better – it rains all the time in Manchester, doesn't it?"

"Well, to be fair, it was raining even harder than this in London when we left, wasn't it?" Harry pointed out. "I made a comment last week about it always raining in Manchester. Nearly got my head bitten off by the local Aurors. I think it's a bit of a sore point with them."

"Was it raining at the time?" Draco wondered. 

Harry grinned. "As a matter of fact it was," he said. "But it's been raining across the whole country for weeks, hasn't it? Except for that snow that we've had in the last few days."

"OK, point taken," said Draco. "Note to self: don't mention the rain to people from Manchester. I wonder if people from Seattle are as touchy as that? Seattle's supposed to have constant rain, too. I'll have to ask my friend."

"You have a friend in _Seattle_? How on earth did you manage that?" 

"Internet, of course," said Draco. "I've got friends all over the place. Mostly in America, but a few in other places too."

Harry stared at him. "Have you ever _met_ any of them?" he asked.

"No, I've never quite dared," Draco admitted. "I've seen photos of most of them, though, and they know what I look like. I just talk to them on Twitter. The thing is, they're all women, and I think some of them fancy me, and I don't think I'd deal very well with that face to face. I flirt quite a lot online, though."

"Wait," said Harry. "They're _all_ women? How come? And have you not told them you're gay?"

"Of course I have, but that just seems to get them more excited," said Draco. "They all _love_ gay men. That's kind of what we have in common. I got to know them through _Merlin_ fansites. We all share an obsession of thinking about Merlin and Arthur together."

"Ohhhh," said Harry. "I've just remembered – when you first mentioned _Merlin_ , you said it would lead to a longer conversation. I meant to ask you about that, but I got distracted. Is this what you meant?"

"More or less, yes," said Draco. "I knew that at some point you'd find out that I spend all my time alone when I'm not at work – I don't have any real-life friends – but then I was going to reassure you that I'm fine, because I do chat to these people every day."

"It still sounds a bit lonely to me, but if it works for you then good luck to you," said Harry. "You said they know what you look like? I'm not surprised they fancy you, in that case. How old are they? Same sort of age as us?"

"Some are; some are in their twenties, some are a bit older than us," said Draco, smiling at Harry's compliment. "Age isn't really a big deal online. Not with these people, at least."

"And you talk to them every day? Have you told them about _me?"_

"Not yet. I haven't been online since Monday night, in any case. I... sort of didn't want to tempt fate by announcing what was happening with us, if that makes any sense. It still seemed a bit too good to be true. I will, though. Apart from anything else, I already had them all asking why I wasn't online on Saturday night or Sunday, so they'll be even more curious when I next go on. So... you don't mind me telling people?"

"Of course I don't mind," said Harry. "I _want_ you to tell people. I definitely don't want anyone thinking you're available. ... Unless _you_ want to keep this a secret? I'd understand if you did."

It was Draco's turn to stare. "Harry, anyone would be proud to be with _you_ ," he said after a moment. " _I_ certainly am. We both know that it's _you_ that will have to put up with people saying you shouldn't be with _me_ , if the wizarding world finds out we're together."

"Maybe," said Harry. "But they _will_ find out, because I want everyone to know. And if anyone tries to tell me it's a bad idea, I will deal with that when it happens. I suspect it won't happen as much as you think, though, especially once they see how much you've changed."

"Well, it won't be too much of a problem, anyway, because I have no plans to rejoin the wizarding world," said Draco.

Harry looked up sharply. " _No_ plans? But what about... well, you know, _us?"_

"We've managed OK since Saturday without me being in the wizarding world, haven't we?" Draco pointed out. "And I do have a life _outside_ the wizarding world, which I quite enjoy. I don't see why we can't continue in a similar manner."

"Hmm," said Harry. "I suppose. It just seems... well, a pity. But you're right, it doesn't actually make _that_ much difference. Can we talk about it again sometime, though, please? Just so we can try and agree on a compromise? I promise I won't try to persuade you to change your whole life to suit _me_ , though, don't worry."

"Of course," Draco agreed. "And thank you. It would be quite a big deal for me to return. I'm not saying I never will, but I'd never expected to before now, so it'll take me a while to get my head round it all."

"I understand that," said Harry. "Now, shall we walk round the rest of the markets? My arse is _freezing_. It probably wasn't a great idea to sit on wet benches for so long."

They stood up and headed up into the main square, where there were more market stalls. "You know what? That is a _really_ strange-looking Father Christmas," commented Draco, looking up to the roof of the Town Hall.

"It is, isn't it?" said Harry. "It looks even stranger from the side. Apparently they used to have a plastic one climbing up the clock tower, but it kept getting damaged by the wind and wouldn't stay inflated, so they got this weird one made out of lights. It's definitely distinctive, though."

He took Draco's hand, and they continued to wander past the market stalls, comfortable with their silence.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Puppies](http://www.city-data.com/forum/attachments/dogs/36291d1234809699-green-eyes-mvc-004s.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very short one tonight, sorry, mainly because I jinxed myself by saying that the prompts were finally being helpful – I was totally stumped by having to suddenly get _puppies_ into the story, and my mind was blank for ages! I'm expecting tomorrow's to be quite long, though, and then the final part (also likely to be long) will be part 25.

**If He Delight In Him - part 23**

Two hours later, they'd investigated all the market stalls (stopping a couple of times for more food and drink), and were ready to go home. The rain had stopped, but it had been bucketing down for long enough that they were both fairly soaked, and were annoyed with themselves for not thinking to do an Impervius Charm until it was too late.

They arrived back in Draco's flat, and Harry immediately cast a spell to dry them off. 

"Thanks," said Draco. "Although now you've removed my excuse for suggesting that we take our clothes off."

"You don't need an excuse for _that_ ," said Harry, laughing. "I'm fine with us _never_ wearing clothes. Well, apart from occasionally. You do look really good in your clothes, so I'd like to see them _sometimes_."

"Well, thank you," said Draco. "You do realise that you look amazing yourself, though, right? Clothes on _or_ off."

"I've never thought of myself as good-looking, so I find that hard to believe," said Harry. "It's nice of you to say so, though. Now, this is all very civilised, but why are our clothes still on?"

Draco grinned. "Shall we move to the bedroom?" he suggested. They did so, and found Kilgharrah curled up in the middle of the bed. 

"I can never bear to move her when she's asleep," Draco admitted. "She's just too cute. Can we just get in the bed on either side of her? She'll probably wake up if we do, and move on her own."

"It's adorable, the way you are with her," said Harry, starting to remove his clothes. "I would never have pictured you as a cat person. Or a dog person, for that matter. I don't suppose you had either at the Manor, did you? What made you get a cat?"

"I never had pets as a child, no," said Draco as he got into the bed. "The peacocks were probably the closest to pets that we had, and they weren't very friendly. I got Kilgharrah from the RSPCA. I'd been thinking about it for a while – I'd heard other people talking about their cats, and I thought she'd help me feel less lonely. And she has – she's made all the difference. I was pretty miserable before I got her."

"I always wanted a puppy, when I was little," admitted Harry, climbing in on the other side of the cat. "It was probably just as well I never had one, though. I'm sure Dudley would have killed it, either by accident or on purpose. I think I'd still like a dog, but I haven't really got the time to care for one. They need more attention than cats."

"Well, maybe in the future," said Draco, stroking Kilgharrah. Suddenly she woke, and immediately jumped off the bed and vanished. 

"She's cute, but her cockblocking was not her finest moment," commented Harry. "Now, where were we?"


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Gingerbread house](http://goodiesbyanna.typepad.com/.a/6a013486ea23b7970c0162fd758ad2970d-800wi)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter mentions the Merlin finale in a vague way, but there are no real spoilers. And, speaking of finales, tomorrow will be the last chapter of this story, in which I will attempt to tie up all the loose ends I remembered when I re-read the whole thing tonight!

**If He Delight In Him - part 24**

_Three weeks later: Christmas Eve_

Harry sat on the sofa in his living room at Grimmauld Place, with Draco in his arms. Draco had been sobbing for several minutes; Harry had stopped crying himself, but his eyes were red-rimmed. He stroked Draco's hair soothingly.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, when the weeping seemed to be subsiding. "But you did suspect that would happen, didn't you?"

"It was looking that way," admitted Draco, sniffing. "But I'm crying at least as much for the good bits as for that one sad bit. When he said 'Just hold me'...."

The thought of this set him off again, and he buried his head in Harry's chest. Harry hugged him tightly. "I think it was that line that set me off," he admitted. "And I think I probably wasn't as emotionally invested in it all as you were. Even though I _have_ now seen all five seasons in the last few weeks, that's not the same as being obsessed with it for five years."

At that moment, the fireplace flared and Ron stepped into the room. Draco struggled to sit up and dry his eyes, but Ron waved his hand dismissively. 

"Don't worry," he said. "Hermione's in the same state as you are. We've just got back from her parents' house. She's sent me to ask if you're up to talking about it yet. Although I still don't see why you couldn't have both watched it _here_."

Harry started to explain, but Draco interrupted. "That was because of me – sorry," he said. "The finale was a big deal to me, and I wanted to be able to just... well, _feel_. And, although I feel much more comfortable with you and Hermione than I ever thought I would..."

"... It's not the same as being alone with Harry," finished Ron. "It's OK, I get it. I doubt Hermione would have cried as much if you two had been there rather than just me."

Draco gave him a watery smile. "It means a lot to me, you know, that you're not laughing at me," he said. "I'm sure you must be dying to."

"You know, the thought hadn't even occurred to me," said Ron, looking surprised. "I didn't even realise Hermione liked Merlin until a few weeks ago, and she's been talking about the finale all week, whereas I know it's been your main interest in the last few years, so you must be a bit overwhelmed right now, mustn't you? Actually, we both know I _would_ have laughed at you before, but I know you better now, and I think we might even be described as friends."

Draco felt Harry's arms squeeze him at this, and he leaned his head back on Harry's shoulder. "Well, thank you," he said to Ron. "I'm glad you think so. But now you've created a dilemma for me, because the deal I had with Harry was that we didn't have to discuss my possible return to the wizarding world until _you_ , unprompted, fully accepted me. So, on the one hand I'm delighted we're getting on so well, but on the other I have to make a decision."

"I'm confused," said Ron. "What exactly do you mean by 'return to the wizarding world'? You've been to our house lots of times, and that's definitely in the wizarding world.And I know you visit the Manor every week or two, and that's about as wizarding as it gets."

"He hasn't been to Diagon Alley, though, or Hogwarts, or... well, anywhere except the two places you've named," explained Harry. "And the Burrow, that first night."

"So what's the problem? What is it that you think will happen if you go to Diagon Alley?" asked Ron. 

Draco laughed hollowly. "Well, let's see – _last_ time I was there, everyone was yelling at me – you know, 'filthy Death Eater!' and stuff like that – and casting hexes and jinxes wherever I went. It's not an experience I care to repeat."

"That _was_ fourteen years ago, though, Draco," Harry pointed out. "I really don't think it'll be as bad as you expect. Especially if you're with _me_."

"That's the point, though, don't you see? I don't want to _have_ to have you to protect me. I've been looking after myself perfectly well in the Muggle world. And I don't want to make _your_ life difficult, either. What will people say when they find out you're with _me_? They won't be pleased."

"Probably not," said Ron. "At least, not at first. But I do think they'll get over it as soon as they see how happy Harry is with you. Everybody _loves_ Harry, and I think that if it's a choice between seeing him happy and giving you a hard time, you'll be fine."

Harry blushed and started to speak, but just then the fire flared again and Hermione stepped through, red-eyed but otherwise calm. "I thought you'd only be a minute, Ron!" she said. "What's the delay? If he's still too upset to talk, you could've just come back and said so."

Ron explained, and she sat on the sofa next to Harry and Draco, giving Draco a quick hug. "I wondered when this was going to come up," she said. "There's no easy solution that'll please you both, is there? Let's be logical, though. What are the options?"

Harry and Draco looked at each other, communicating silently, before Harry answered. "One: Draco completely abandons the Muggle world and comes to live with me permanently. Two: I completely abandon the wizarding world and go to live with _him_ permanently. Three: We put a halt to the whole thing and never see each other again. Four: Some sort of compromise."

"Well, that's easy, then," said Hermione. "Clearly the first three aren't realistic options, so all that remains is to work out the details of the compromise. Piece of cake."

"Wait a minute," said Ron. "I can see why it's unrealistic for them not to see each other again – I mean, just _look_ at them! And I can see that Harry can't leave the wizarding world. But why can't Draco leave the Muggle world?"

"Because I don't want to," said Draco. "At least, not entirely. I _like_ the Muggle world, hard as that may be to believe. I like the fact that it's so _big_ , and there's so much of it to explore, and I can remain anonymous. I like the fact that I have a job I'm good at, however menial it might be. And I _love_ the internet, and all my gadgets. I'd really miss the internet if I left the Muggle world."

"It's true," said Harry. "He's addicted. Right now, he's _itching_ to get home so that he can talk to the Merlin fangirls on Twitter."

Draco grinned. "I am," he admitted apologetically. "But it can wait until I've talked to you about it, Hermione."

"Can't you do both at once?" asked Hermione. "I've been dying to see how Twitter works ever since you told me about it. And you've been promising for weeks to show us your flat. And Kilgharrah, for that matter. Why don't we go there now?"

"Hermione!" scolded Ron. "You can't just invite yourself to his flat!"

"No, no, it's fine," said Draco. "Of course you're very welcome. I'm sorry I've not invited you earlier – I _did_ mean to, but I think I must keep getting distracted."

"Yes, I've seen the look on your face when you're with Harry," said Hermione drily. "You've looked distracted for weeks."

"Speaking of distraction," put in Harry, "weren't you about to suggest a brilliant compromise to settle the question of our future?"

"Ah, yes," said Hermione. "And, no. You've sort of done it yourselves already. You've slept together every night for weeks, haven't you? Either here or at Draco's?"

They nodded, and she continued. "Well, I can't see the problem with continuing to do that. You can keep both residences, and stay at one or the other as it suits you. If Draco's going to keep his job, it's handy to keep his flat too, because he can Apparate to and from there without anyone seeing him. Later on, if you find that you're both staying in one place a lot more than the other, you can reconsider, but for the time being there's no harm in using both. And it will help with the _other_ issue – Draco visiting places like Diagon Alley – because if there _is_ trouble at first then you've got somewhere to escape to. I think Ron's right, though – it won't be as bad as you think, and it won't last long."

"It might be worth giving an interview to the _Prophet_ , though, to get all the facts clear from the outset," mused Harry. "We can talk about that another time, though. Thanks, Hermione. All of that should have been quite obvious, but it helped to have it all stated as clearly as that. Let's move, though, before we get distracted again. Draco, why don't you take Hermione and I'll take Ron?"

They arrived in the living room of Draco's flat in Wallington. Ron and Hermione immediately went to the window to look at the view of the city, and Draco stayed with them, pointing out landmarks. Harry went into the kitchen to make coffee, but he returned a few seconds later.

"Draco, what on _earth_ is this thing in your kitchen? Is it a cake?"

Draco laughed. "I forgot about that!" he said. "I won it in a raffle at work. It's a house made entirely out of gingerbread. But, yes, it _is_ designed to be eaten. D'you want some?"

"It seems a pity to destroy it," said Harry. "Although it _is_ kind of tacky. I suppose we should probably eat it, as a service to mankind."

"Eating cake? To help mankind? Hand me a plate," said Ron.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Slythindor100 "25 Days of Draco and Harry" challenge. Prompt for this chapter: [Christmas on a beach](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ASd46GHJYC4/TvSuvo10FtI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/mHbggA83-l4/s1600/tropical+christmas.jpg)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The challenge officially ended with prompt 24, so I made the most of not having a deadline and got a bit carried away! Thank you all for reading and commenting – I never thought I'd reach day 25, and I wouldn't have without the comments. Thank you as well to for running this whole challenge despite being ill and having other traumas to deal with – it is very much appreciated. And, finally – I was pleased to be able to tie up a lot of loose ends in this chapter, but I have to admit that what made me smile the most was when I accidentally used the phrase "one direction" :-)

**If He Delight In Him - part 25**

For the next hour, Draco sat on the sofa with his laptop, typing rapidly, with Hermione squashed up against him, eagerly looking on and making comments. Harry was pressed very satisfactorily against his other side, but he wasn't paying as much attention to the Twitter demonstration (having seen it before), although he did prick up his ears each time his name was mentioned – Draco's Twitter friends had been very excited to learn about Draco's gorgeous new boyfriend, and seemed to want constant reassurance that he was still there. 

Mostly, however, Harry was chatting to Ron, who had briefly leaned over the back of the sofa to watch what was going on, but had soon lost interest in the laptop and sprawled in an armchair.

"You _are_ both still coming to the Burrow tomorrow, aren't you?" Ron was saying. "I'm told Mum you are, so you'd better not have changed your minds."

"No, we'll be there," said Harry. "Wouldn't miss it. I can't wait to introduce Draco properly to everyone. Although it'll be a bit later than usual, so I don't think we'll be there for the actual meal. D'you think your mum will be OK with that? I've promised to go to the Manor with Draco for lunch, you see."

"She'll understand, although she'll be a little disappointed," said Ron. "I did warn her you'd probably be doing that. She'll just be happy you'll _be_ there. She was distraught the year you finally called things off with Ginny and then stayed away at Christmas."

"That was a horrible Christmas," remembered Harry. "But I think it would have been horrible either way, and at least there were no awkward scenes for the rest of you to witness."

"Weren't there? You'd be surprised," said Ron. "Did I never tell you what happened that year? Ginny brought a bloke home. She'd only met him a few days before – I don't know _what_ she was thinking, bringing him for Christmas. Well, it was awful. Everyone was really polite, but you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. The poor guy had no idea what was going on, but I think we must have scared him away. Never saw him again."

"Ouch," said Harry. "No, you've never told me that before. But remember how awkward you felt round about that time? You were so worried about being fair to both me and Ginny that you hardly said anything to either of us for ages."

"True," said Ron. "It _was_ pretty awful. I'm glad you made friends with her eventually – makes things much easier."

"Oh, _that's_ not fair," said Hermione suddenly. "Ron! Harry! Look at this!"

Draco turned the laptop to show them a photo of a tropical beach beside a crystal-clear ocean, with the words 'Merry Christmas' marked out in the sand. "One of my friends lives in Australia, and she's just sent us a picture of where she is right now. She's sitting on the beach with her laptop. Sickening, isn't it?"

"You know, even though I _understand_ why the seasons and daylight hours are different in different parts of the world, it still blows my mind every time I come across an actual example of it," commented Harry. "Which is a bit stupid, isn't it?"

"No, I know what you mean," said Draco. "I'm the same. Or, wait... actually I'm only the same in _one direction_."

"What on earth do you mean?" asked Hermione.

"Well, I've totally got my head round the fact that people in America have just gone to bed when I get up, and so on," Draco explained. "I can cope with time zones that are _behind_ GMT. But every time someone in Australia or the Far East mentions that it's Wednesday, for example, when to me it's only Tuesday, I have to remind myself of how it all works all over again. I wonder why that is?"

"Hmm, I see what you mean," said Hermione. "That _is_ interesting. I wonder if it's because..."

"Sorry, Hermione," interrupted Ron. "But please could you continue that thought tomorrow? It sounds as if it might be a long one, and it's getting late, and I'm tired, and you know Mum'll expect us at the crack of dawn tomorrow."

Hermione laughed. "Fair enough," she said, and stood up. "Thank you for introducing me to your friends, Draco. I enjoyed that chat. I'd like to do it again sometime, if you'll let me."

"You know you're both welcome any time," said Draco. "In fact, why don't we have this week's meal here? I haven't forgotten I promised to do my stroganoff so Ron can laugh at it."

"You're on," said Ron, grinning. "Friday, as usual? We'll be here."

"Friday it is," said Draco. "But of course we'll see you tomorrow anyway."

"I hope you've both got me an _amazing_ present," said Ron. "Especially Harry. He still owes me from the other week. I'll let you off the hook, Draco, for looking after Hermione when she had her accident. I'll still expect _something_ , though, of course."

"Malfoys are renowned for their gift-giving – you won't be disappointed," said Draco loftily. "But why does Harry owe you?"

Harry flushed slightly. "I think he's probably referring to that first Wednesday, when we spent the whole day in bed," he admitted. "You had the day off, remember, but _I_ didn't. I should've been at the Ministry, but I wasn't, and I didn't send any message. But Ron guessed, and covered for me, and he's been teasing me about it _ever since_."

"I take my job as your deputy very seriously," Ron told him. "It's part of my job description to cover for you when you're unavailable. Doesn't mean I can't make the most of opportunities to make you blush."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ignore him, Harry," she said. "He's conveniently forgetting that _you_ were the one who remembered to sort out the loose end about my appointment in the fracture clinic."

"That was a pity, really," said Ron. "It would have been quite funny to see the looks on their faces if you'd walked in with no sign of any injury at all. But I suppose it _was_ better to just make them forget about you. Anyway, are you ready to go, Hermione?"

"Yep. Night, you two." She kissed them both on the cheek, then took Ron's arm as they Apparated.

Draco closed the laptop and put it on the coffee table. "Harry, I realise this will make me sound a bit pathetic, but I've been dying to ask... You've been to the Weasleys for Christmas every year since you left school, right? Apart from that one year you were talking about? I was just wondering... have you ever taken any of your _other_ partners with you?"

Harry smiled and took his hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. "There haven't _been_ that many other partners," he said. "But, no. None of them were serious, and I've never taken anyone else to the Burrow. And I can guess what your next questions will be: yes, Ginny will be there tomorrow, and yes, I think she'll be fine with you. I know Ron's told the whole family about us, so she won't be surprised."

Draco hung his head, embarrassed. "I _was_ about to ask that," he admitted. "You really think it'll be OK? I'm sort of dreading facing them all, but particularly her. It does make me happy to know I'm the first one you've taken with you, though. So thank you for that."

"They're good people," said Harry. "I know that your family and theirs never got on, but things are different now, aren't they? I suspect that when the Weasleys first heard about us, they will have been a bit taken aback, and maybe not very happy. But I know them well enough to say that they'll give you the benefit of the doubt. They'll respect the fact that you're the first person I've ever felt strongly enough about to take there, and the fact that Ron will have told them he supports us will have helped a lot. So they'll be polite at first, while they make their own minds up. And as soon as they get to know you they'll be your biggest fans, I guarantee it."

Draco leaned into Harry and put his head on his shoulder, and Harry put his arm round him. "Of course, you do realise that you're not the only one who's dreading tomorrow, right?" Harry said after a few minutes. "It's kind of a big deal for me to go to the Manor too, you know."

Draco looked up at him, aghast. "Of course it is," he said, realising. "I was thinking it was just because of my parents, but of course the last time you were there was a bit traumatic, wasn't it? How could I forget?"

"It was a _bit_ traumatic, yes," agreed Harry. "But it was a long time ago. I've honestly hardly thought about it in the last few years. But I've kept thinking about it ever since you asked me to go there for Christmas. I'm a bit nervous about meeting your parents – particularly since at least one of them has tried to kill me in the past – but it's the thought of the Manor itself that keeps coming back to me."

"I'm so sorry," said Draco. "I really should have thought of that. If it's any consolation, though, they've totally redecorated since the war, so it should look a bit different. They don't use the drawing-room any more – that's the room where they asked me to identify you. We _all_ have bad memories of that room."

"It'd definitely help if I don't have to go in that room," said Harry. "What about your parents, though? What will they be like, d'you think?"

"Oh, on their best behaviour, don't worry," said Draco. "I don't think they'll totally believe that we're together until they _see_ us together, mind you. They didn't actually say that when I told them, but the raised eyebrows definitely gave me that impression."

"So what _do_ you think they believe?" wondered Harry.

"That we're friends," said Draco. "And they _did_ seem quite pleased about that, I promise you. Partly because of you being _you_ , so they'll see it as quite an honour for me to be associated with you, but mainly because they've been worried for years about me having no real-life friends."

"That's good to hear, although I'm surprised the proportions are that way round," said Harry.

"Well, they _have_ changed since you last saw them. Particularly my father," said Draco. "He's definitely a lot saner these days. I think it'll be fine."

"I hope so," said Harry. "Tell you what, though. Let's agree on a code word for both visits – to your family _and_ the Weasleys – so that if either of us feels so uncomfortable we want to leave, we can warn the other."

"Good plan," said Draco. "I hope it won't come to that, though, of course. But what code word shall we choose? It needs to be one that we could easily slip into conversation, but that we probably wouldn't say accidentally."

Harry thought for a moment. "Scar," he suggested. "Neither of us likes to talk about our scars, but no one _else_ would think it odd if we mentioned them."

"Deal," agreed Draco. "If either of us uses the word 'scar', the other immediately says it's time for us to leave, and we get out of there."

*****

As it turned out, however, both visits passed uneventfully, and no code word was needed. Harry and Draco were both delighted to find that Teddy and Andromeda were also at the Manor for Christmas, and their presence undoubtedly lightened the atmosphere. Lucius and Narcissa were both fairly quiet, but talked civilly to Harry (albeit steering clear of any dangerous topics) and smiled at the sight of him holding Draco's hand. 

The huge extended Weasley clan was mostly a bit tipsy by the time Harry and Draco arrived at the Burrow, but Draco was relieved to find that they did indeed treat him as a welcome guest. Molly and Ginny both hugged him, even, saying that they were thrilled to see Harry happy at last.

Just after midnight, Draco and Harry arrived back in Harry's living room at Grimmauld Place, exhausted. 

"I'm not sure _why_ I'm so tired," said Harry, as they climbed the stairs to the bedroom. "We didn't get up _that_ early, and we had plenty of sleep last night, for once."

"It was emotionally draining, that's why," said Draco. "For both of us. But I think we'll be OK _next_ time we visit either of them, don't you? It was the anticipation that was getting to us."

"Definitely," said Harry. "It was a good day, but I'm very glad it's over. Well, apart from the fucking, obviously."

"I'm glad to hear you're not too tired for _that_ ," said Draco, amused. "Especially as I think I'm in a bottomish mood. I've been thinking all day about your cock slamming into me."

"Well, now _I'm_ thinking about that too, oddly enough," said Harry, rapidly pulling his clothes off and flinging them to the floor. "And I'm happy to oblige. It'll require a great deal of effort on my part, obviously, but I'm prepared to do it... for you."

"Truly you are the Saviour," said Draco, grinning. He removed the last of his clothing and lay back on the bed.

" _Accio_ lube," said Harry, and the jar flew into his hand. One quick burst of slathering later, he was lying on top of Draco, kissing him messily while guiding his cock into position. 

"Ready?" asked Harry breathlessly, once he'd found what he was looking for. 

"YES," said Draco. Harry grinned and pushed all the way in in one swift movement, causing them both to groan. 

"MOVE," ordered Draco. "Oh, yes. Like that. Keep doing... Ahhhhhh. That. Yes, that. HARDER."

Harry, ever obedient, increased his efforts. "I'm close," he panted.

"So am I," gasped Draco. "Don't stop. Don't stop."

A second later, Draco came with his own cock still untouched, at almost exactly the same moment that Harry stopped moving, and Draco could feel the ejaculate being pumped deep inside his body. They lay still, breathing heavily.

"We came at the same time," commented Harry. "We've never done that before."

"I know," said Draco. "It was... a bit amazing, wasn't it?"

"It was _very_ amazing," said Harry. "Listen, it's not _because_ of the fact that we just both came together, although that's a bonus, but I've just realised that I haven't said this out loud yet: I love you. And I wanted you to know."

Draco stared at him for a moment, and then beamed and kissed him. "I love you too," he said. "I hope you already knew that, but I'm glad we said it. And I kind of like the fact that you were buried deep inside me when we did."

"We'll just have to try not to blush too much if anyone ever asks us what we were doing when we first said 'I love you'," said Harry. "Now, we'd better get some sleep. I'm so tired I feel a bit faint."

But Draco's eyes had already closed, so Harry rolled them both over slightly until they were lying on their sides, and fell asleep himself, his cock still inside Draco.

*****

The next morning, they didn't wake up until ten o'clock, and then didn't get out of bed until noon. After a long communal shower and a leisurely late breakfast, Draco announced that he wanted to go for a walk.

"That'd be nice," said Harry. "I feel like some fresh air. And it's _finally_ stopped raining. Where d'you want to go?"

Draco took a deep breath. "Diagon Alley," he said.

Harry looked at him, startled. "Are you sure?" he asked. "You don't have to. Not if you're uncomfortable."

"I think I do, though," said Draco. "I _am_ uncomfortable, but I want to try. I really want to be part of your world if it's at all possible, rather than just in a different world that you visit. And you were right about the Weasleys, and they had more reason to hate me than most, so I'm prepared to believe that maybe you _are_ right about the rest of it."

Harry hugged him. "Thank you so much," he said. "If anything _does_ go badly, I promise we'll Apparate straight out of there, and not try it again without a rethink. But I honestly think it'll be fine. Tell you what, though: I think if Ron and Hermione were with us, it would make it even clearer that you're one of the good guys now."

"I think you're right," said Draco. "Do you think they'd mind? I must admit that one of the things I'm most worried about is that people will think I've got you under a spell or something. They're less likely to think I've got all _three_ of you under a spell."

"If they think _either_ of those things, they're idiots," said Harry. "But I understand that you're worried. And no, I'm sure Ron and Hermione won't mind. Just give me a minute to fetch them."

*****

Twenty minutes later, the four of them arrived at the Apparition point in Diagon Alley. "Your call, Draco," said Harry, squeezing his hand. "How d'you want to do this?"

"I was thinking of just casually walking along the road at first," said Draco uncertainly. "And then, if there's no trouble, maybe pop in one or two of the shops on the way back. What d'you think?"

"I think there's no time like the present," said Harry. "And I'm sure it'll be fine. Let's go for it. And just remember: I love you." He kissed Draco.

Draco returned the kiss enthusiastically, before breaking away a minute later and noticing that Hermione and Ron, much to his surprise, were both beaming at him.

"You really suit each other," explained Ron, at Draco's slightly puzzled look. "And I think everyone will recognise that. Come on, let's find out."

They set off up the street; Harry and Draco walked in the middle, holding hands, bracketed by Hermione on Draco's other side and Ron on Harry's. At first their stroll was a bit of an anti-climax, as no one paid them any attention at all. After a few minutes, though, people started to notice, and soon all the passers-by were staring at them. No one said anything, though – although there was quite a bit of indistinguishable muttering – and Draco started to feel better.

"Let's talk about something totally unrelated to any of this," said Hermione suddenly, after the four of them had walked in silence for ten minutes. "Draco, I've been meaning to ask you for ages: that night when I had my accident, and you found me... what were you doing in the area? I'm curious."

"I'd been to a concert at the Royal Albert Hall," said Draco. "I go to quite a few concerts. I've become quite a fan of classical music over the last few years, and _Messiah_ is an annual tradition."

"Oh, I meant to ask you about that too," said Harry. "You did tell me you'd been to see _Messiah_ that night, and I wanted to ask you more about it, but we got distracted. So you go to lots of classical concerts?"

"Not _lots_ , but quite a few. Maybe one a month," said Draco. "There are lots to choose from in London. Some are better than others, of course, but it's a pleasant way to spend an evening."

"I've never been to a concert," said Harry. "Maybe you could take me to one that you think I'd like?"

Draco stared at him. "I was about to express my surprise, but when I think about it I realise that it's very unlikely that you _would_ have been to a concert. I'd love to take you to one. Actually, I think you would have liked _Messiah_ , but once a year is enough for that, so I'll find something else for you to see."

"I've heard of _Messiah_ , but I've never seen it," said Hermione. "Was it any good?"

"It was quite a good one – the best _Messiah_ I've seen in years – but it had one or two features I didn't like," said Draco. "The trouble with _Messiah_ is that it's so well-known that every conductor insists on putting his own stamp on it, and they annoy me. And the one that night did two things I detest. One is that he had a countertenor singing the alto part, and the other is that he signalled the audience to stand up before the start of the Hallelujah Chorus."

"But isn't it a _tradition_ that the audience stands for the Hallelujah Chorus?" asked Hermione, puzzled.

"Yes – but that's my point," said Draco. "The tradition is that they stand up _themselves_ , when the music starts playing. I find it incredibly moving. But if the conductor _tells_ them to stand up, it doesn't have the same effect _at all_ , and I hate it. That's my favourite moment of the whole piece if it's done properly, so it ruins it for me if the conductor is power-mad and decides he doesn't want an audience to think for itself."

"Riiiiight," said Hermione. "I _think_ I see what you mean. But what's your objection to countertenors?"

"They're just _wrong_ ," said Draco. "I don't like the sound of their voices. At least, I've never heard one I've liked. And I always feel a bit sorry for the altos. They get so few solos as it is; it seems very unfair that so many of their best solos are in _Messiah_ , yet they so often don't get to sing them because some prat of a conductor thinks countertenors are more authentic."

"What's a countertenor?" asked Ron. 

"A male alto," said Draco. "A man who sings really, really high notes. I'm sure they're all lovely people, but I don't like hearing them sing. Sorry, I'll stop ranting now."

"Don't apologise," said Harry, smiling. "I only understood about half of what you said, but I love hearing you talk passionately about stuff. I look forward to sharing it with you."

He kissed Draco, only stopping when someone cleared their throat nearby. They looked up to find Rita Skeeter standing there, notepad at the ready. 

"Oh, hello, Rita," said Harry cheerily. "I was wondering how long it would take _you_ to show up. I know you don't write as many articles these days, but I suspected _this_ one might cause you to delay your retirement a bit longer."

"You suspected correctly," said Rita. "Do you have a moment to answer a few quick questions?"

Harry glanced at Draco, who nodded, but held tightly to Harry's hand. "I suppose so," said Harry. "Since you haven't pestered me in the last few years. Two conditions, though: firstly, I'll talk to you for five minutes, no longer. And no Quick-Quotes Quill. You write my exact words, or I'm not saying anything."

"Fair enough," said Rita. "Straight to the point, then. I see you're holding hands with Draco Malfoy. What is your relationship with him?"

"I love him," said Harry immediately. "We are partners, and I imagine we will be married at some point, although I haven't asked him yet." He looked at Draco apologetically, but Draco grinned and nodded.

"It's well known that Draco Malfoy has been missing from the wizarding world for many years," said Rita. "Where has he been? Have you been in touch with him all along?"

"He's been living in Muggle London, and has built an honest life for himself there," said Harry. "And no, I haven't been in touch with him. Until this month, when I encountered him by accident, I hadn't seen him since I testified for him at his war trial."

"So this relationship is only a few weeks old?" asked Rita. "Doesn't that seem a very short time in which to decide that you want to be with someone for the rest of your life?"

"Maybe, for some people," said Harry. "But Draco and I have always had a connection, even if it wasn't _this_ connection. Ron and Hermione will tell you how obsessed I was with him when we were at school." Rita glanced at Hermione and Ron, who both nodded emphatically.

"And, in any case," Harry continued, "I knew straight away. Ask Hermione what I said to her, the night Draco reappeared in our lives." 

"What did he say, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled, remembering. "He whispered in my ear: 'You know how I've been saying for years that there was something missing from my life but I didn't know what it was? Well, I think I've found it.' And that was only about an hour after the first time he'd seen Draco in fourteen years, wasn't it, Harry? And he was right. Ron and I have spent a lot of time with the two of them since then, and they really are perfect together."

"They are," said Ron. "I never dreamed I'd say that, but Draco has changed, and I'm proud to call him my friend. And I've never seen Harry as happy as he has been since Draco turned up."

"Draco? Anything to add?" asked Rita.

Draco looked at them all, with tears in his eyes. "I just want to try something," he said, finally. " _Expecto Patronum!"_

And, for the first time ever, an ethereal tabby cat burst from the end of his wand and dashed down the street; Hermione whooped in delight, and Harry flung his arms round Draco and kissed him until his knees started to wobble.


End file.
